


Onwards and Upwards

by LaurynKavanagh



Category: Titanic (1997)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-08-07 05:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 88,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7702279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaurynKavanagh/pseuds/LaurynKavanagh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Rose both believing the other to be dead, are overjoyed to be reunited on the Carpathia and begin their new life together. Where will their life together take them? What adventures lie in store? And are they truly out of danger? </p><p>-A rewrite of an original story I wrote 6 years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello :) So this was originally a story I posted on fanfiction.net about 6 years ago, and after re-reading and cringing at my writing style and lack of proof reading, I decided to polish it into something decent, the result of which is this. Enjoy, and feel free to offer any comments, advice or suggestions. Ciao :) x

Jack's POV

I slowly felt myself drifting out of a deep sleep. It was strange, I felt as though I were floating, my body felt weightless... I opened my eyes... And felt the sharp sting of the icy water force them shut again. I suddenly realised I was underwater. Realisation came flooding back to me as I frantically began kicking for the surface, forcing my stiff, frozen muscles to awaken. I gasped for air as I reached the surface at last, drinking in the oxygen my body was so starved of. I opened my eyes. I was surrounded by a seemingly endless field of death - a vast number of bodies floated all around me. Most wearing life jackets, some frozen to the pieces of debris they had clung to in the hope of surviving, as I myself had done with the piece of wood I had made Rose climb on. 

Rose! My tired mind suddenly jolted awake at the mere thought of her name. How could I have forgotten about her for even a moment? I jerked my head around wildly, praying to see her close by. I felt panic build within me as I realised that she was nowhere to be seen. I tried to call out her name, but the words that came out were hoarse and barely loud enough to hear myself. It was hopeless. I must have drifted too far away. 

I clung to a piece of wood, suddenly exhausted. I listened all around me for signs of life, but all I could hear was the gentle lapping of the water and the sound of my own heavy breathing. The harsh reality began to dawn on me, though I wanted so hard not to believe it. Rose hadn't made it. She must have let go of my hand when she fell asleep, succumbing at last to the harsh cold night, and let me slip into the water. I felt my heart breaking as the truth sunk in; indeed the only part of my body I could currently feel. This was all so wrong. We were supposed to survive together.

I don't know exactly how long I floated there, clinging to that piece of wood, before I suddenly became aware of more noises. It was the noise of oars hitting the water, and a boat pushing it's way through the still night. Very vaguely, I heard a voice. 

"Is there anyone alive out there?" it called. "Can anyone hear me?" 

I turned my head as far as I could to see the blurry outline of a while lifeboat, it's silhouette framed by torchlight. A lifeboat. A chance to live. But why would I want to? The girl I truly loved was dead. Why should I bother trying to survive? 

My moment of hopelessness was suddenly interrupted by my memory of the last thing I'd said to Rose. I'd told her that she was going to go on living, with or without me. I realised that that was what I had to do. I'd told her to go on living for me, now it seems I'd have to go on living for her. 

A new determination filled me, giving me the strength to try and shout for the lifeboat. My voice was still pretty hoarse, but I kept trying nonetheless. I fought with all my strength to haul myself out of the water and onto the piece of wood, trying to make as much noise and splashing as I could to draw their attention. My efforts were exhausting, but thankfully they were enough. The lifeboat suddenly shone it's light in my direction. I blinked in the harsh light, such a blinding contrast from the black night, but felt relief wash over me as the lifeboat began to steer towards me. 

"Jack! Oh my God, Jack, it's you!" 

A strangely familiar female voice. Not Rose, but familiar. Oh yes. Molly Brown. Wonderful Molly Brown, in her thick fur coat and hat, sitting alongside the oarsmen. I was too tired to even think about the logistics of why she was there, I was just so glad that she was. She rushed over to the side of the boat to join the officer as it approached me. The officer extended his hand for me to grab onto. He shuddered as he felt how cold I was, but began to quickly haul me into the boat.   
I rolled over the edge of the boat and landed unceremoniously onto the wooden floor, where I was quickly wrapped in the several thick blankets they had on board. 

"Oh my god, I can't believe it, you're alive..." I heard Molly repeating such phrases as she pulled me into a tight hug. The effort of climbing into the boat had exhausted me, and I could barely find the strength to reply. I rested my face in the warm fur of her coat, suddenly remembering what it was like to even feel warmth.   
This was how I stayed for the remainder of the night in the boat. Few people had the energy or the wish to talk about much. There we sat in the silence of the sea, where just hours earlier the mightiest ship on Earth had floated, and floundered, taking hundreds of people with her. Even Molly, brightest and more talkative of people, couldn't bring herself to say anything. She sat with me the whole night as I drifted in and out of consciousness, my mind as numb as my body. 

By early morning, I was finally awoken by the sound of a ship's horn. The Carpathia. The ship that had sailed to rescue us, but arrived too late for so many. Ours was the last boat to be emptied onto the ship. When the time came, I was helped shakily to my feet by the officer, and began to climb the ladder to the deck of the ship. It was a task I could surely have done with ease on any other day, but after my ordeal in the water, I passed out as I finally landed on the deck. 

I was back in the water, drifting aimlessly through the endless water, but this time my eyes were wide open. I tried to kick for the surface, but no matter how I tried I couldn't go up. I could see the surface above me. I could see Rose. It was the first time I'd ever seen her. She was standing on the deck of the ship, with Cal. She was arguing with him, a symbol of how she would spend the rest of her life if I couldn't reach her. I kicked furiously, but to no avail. No matter how hard to tried I just seemed to be going down... I tried shouting her name, but no voice came out under the water. I just kept going down, into the icy sea... "No!" I shouted silently. "No!" 

"No!" 

I sat bolt upright in the bed, panting heavily as I recovered from the dream. I looked around me in alarm before realising that I wasn't underwater anymore. I was in some sort of hospital room. Just as I began to feel dizzy, a nurse approached me, alerted by my shouting. 

"Oh good, you're awake" she sounded relieved. "We were starting to wonder if you ever would" 

She was a young woman, possibly late twenties? With blonde hair tied up in a knot and trusting brown eyes. 

"What?" I asked in a daze. How long had I been asleep? 

"You've been asleep since you were brought on board yesterday" 

I glanced at a clock on the opposite wall. Half past twelve. I'd been asleep for over a day? 

"Rose..." I muttered, trying to organise my thoughts inside my dizzy mind. 

"Rose?" the nurse repeated, before shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't know anyone called Rose"

Memories came swimming back to me. The ship, the water, Rose, and how she hadn't made it. I lay back onto the pillows hopelessly. 

The nurse stepped forward to put her hand on my forehead. 

"Still slightly feverish" she sighed. "I'm afraid you've had a bad case of hypothermia, what with being in the water so long. It look ages for us to eventually warm you up"

I turned my head away slightly, not bothering to respond. I wasn't interested. 

"I'll go get the doctor to have a look at you, he'll want to evaluate you in more detail, then we can focus on getting you better"

Getting better... Without Rose, that wasn't something I felt like I could be bothered to do. 

I closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep again, but was rudely interrupted by the nurse returning with the doctor. He checked my temperature and pulse, and asked questions I could barely be bothered to answer. He prescribed some cough medicine when I told him my throat hurt, combined with my still slightly hoarse voice. I willingly swallowed the spoonful, and found it did soothe the soreness a little. I was looking forward to them leaving me in peace, but that wasn't to be. Just as they were about to move on, in came Molly Brown. 

Her face filled with relief as she noticed I was awake, and I was surprised when she rushed over and pulled me into a tight hug. Very informal for a high class woman like her who barely knew me.

"Thank God, you're alive!" she said, squeezing me tightly before finally releasing me from the hug.

I smiled slightly. 

"Another lucky hand I guess" 

Molly chuckled slightly, but a sad smile was still etched on her tired face. 

"And... Rose?" she asked quietly, as though dreading the answer. 

I shook my head silently. I couldn't even look at her. 

Molly's hand went to her face as she let out a gasp. 

"That poor girl..." she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "She was so young..."

She raised her eyes to look at me pitifully. 

"I'm so sorry, Jack" she said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks" I replied blankly, still staring down at the bed. 

A short silence followed before Molly finally asked "Do you have anywhere to go when we arrive in New York?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not really"

"No family at all?" 

"My parents died when I was 15, and I don't really have any other relatives, not that I know of, anyway"

Molly moved her hand from my shoulder to squeeze my hand lightly. 

"You can stay with me if you like" she offered. I finally looked up at her. There was genuine concern in her eyes. It had been a long time since I'd had such a helpful offer, and never from someone as rich as Molly Brown. 

"Thanks" I replied, and finally smiled a genuine smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)
> 
> I hope this chapter meets your approval :) I thought the idea of having Rose's governess teaching her Norwegian would be an interesting way to open up Helga's character, as it's made pretty clear originally that she doesn't speak English, as well as providing further development for Rose. I haven't seen this idea done before, so I'd appreciate any thoughts you may have on it. Also, I apologise if there's anything wrong with the few Norwegian sentences in this chapter, or any to come. I myself have no knowledge of the language and am relying entirely on Google Translate xD Now to start on Chapter Three.
> 
> Ciao :) x

Rose's POV

I sat huddled in the corner of the Third Class dining area, a blanket draped loosely around my shoulders as I sipped a bowl of hot soup, occasionally supplemented with a bite of bread. I I hadn't ventured far from this spot since we were rescued yesterday morning. It seemed safer to stay hidden away inside, in the warm, with food close by. Not that it was a very pleasant place to be. I was surrounded by nothing but grief and sorrow. My fellow survivors, the vast majority women and children, sat in various states of shock and horror. Some cried, some sought comfort in each other, and others simply sat in silence, staring into the distance. I felt as though I should be crying with them. I had suffered just as much. The Titanic had claimed the life of the only man I'd ever truly loved. But no matter how horrific the events of the previous night, I just couldn't seem to feel anything other than numb. I couldn't cry. I couldn't grieve. It was as though my heart was as frozen as the icy Atlantic ocean from which I had been pulled.

The energy it had taken for me to summon the attention of the lifeboat seemed to have drained me. I had not spoken a word to anyone after I was hauled aboard the lifeboat. I lay, almost completely covered in blankets, at the bottom of the boat. I barely paid attention to what went on around me. I vaguely listened to the argument which resulted in another boat being persuaded to go back into the field of bodies for one last search. I drifted in and out of consciousness until the Carpathia arrived in the early morning. Once hauled aboard, I was guided along with the steerage passengers to the appropriate area of the ship, and left to get on with things. I was a cold and damp, but nothing some hot food and rest wouldn't fix. Laying on the wooden raft out of the water had saved me from the worst of the cold. Just another item on the list of things I would never be able to thank Jack for.

I pulled myself to my feet and left the dining room. I needed some air. And a break from the crying. I walked along the deck of the ship, the sea breeze blowing lightly in my face. The overcrowded steerage deck was awash with the yet more survivors. It felt as though there were a lot of us - Carpathia was of course smaller than Titanic, and had already been carrying it's own passengers - but in reality, there were far less of us than there could, and should, have been. 178, I would later find out, Third Class passengers had survived the sinking. A shameful number.

I pulled my blanket up over my head like a scarf. I needed to conceal myself from anyone who might come looking for me - particularly Cal, if he had survived. Is it wrong to wish someone dead? Does it count if that someone is the lowest excuse for a human being you've ever met? My opinion of my former fiancée had never been particularly high, but after the events of last night, they couldn't possibly be lower. He was a coward, for trying to bribe his way off the ship (how else could his "arrangement" with an officer have been accomplished?). A cruel beast, for framing Jack for a crime he didn't commit, and intending him to die for it.

I sat to rest on the deck of the ship, surrounded by others. Suddenly, a painfully familiar voice reached my ears.

"You, let me through here"

Cal. I felt the shock of his voice in the pit of my stomach.

"Sir, I don't think you'll find any of your lot down here, it's all steerage"

The officer's remark did nothing to deter him. I dared not look round as I heard the sound of angry footsteps make their way along the deck. I pulled my blanket tighter around my head, shielding any stray red curls blowing in the wind. After several moments, I dared to steal a glance out of the corner of my eye. There he was. Caledon Hockley. His self-made luck triumphing again. Oh his suit was torn and water-stained, his hair was tousled and unkempt, but he was alive. When so many, Jack included, were not.

He paced the deck angrily, mercifully overlooking me. His infamous lack of patience took over, and he soon stormed off back towards the First Class section of the ship. During my final stolen glance of him, I saw fury, rage, and shockingly, perhaps a hint of grief. Perhaps he had loved me, in some sort of twisted way. I had read novels in which some men who were aggressively controlling of their wives, simply because they were scared of losing them. Perhaps Cal could have fallen into that category. I thought back to the early days of our relationship; he ad proposed to me in one of the most expensive restaurants in Paris, his eyes seemingly full of desire. He had charmed me, flattered me, put me under his spell. Nevertheless, it was nowhere near enough to persuade me that he was a man I was willing to go back to. It didn't take very long for him to turn, once he was certain he had me in his clutches. It started slow - politely but firmly insisting on what I wore, what I ate, what I bought (or rather, what was bought for me). Then it slowly escalated. Persuasion turned into threats, although he had never actually assaulted me until yesterday morning on the Titanic. It was startling to think of how quickly things had escalated since then. No, Caledon Hockley was not a man I would ever willingly put myself back into the clutches of. Not after Jack had given his life to free me from that monster. He was out of my life for good.

Relief washed over me once Cal had finally left the deck. Left to my thoughts once again. I stared around me blankly, not looking at anyone in particular, until a strangely familiar face appeared across the deck. It took me a while to even realise that she was vaguely familiar, but indeed she was. A pale young woman with silvery blonde hair. Her porcelain face was tear stained, her blonde hair shielded with a blanket worn the same as mine. She sat alone, her knees pulled to her chest as she sobbed. It was the woman I'd seen dancing with Jack's friend, Fabrizio, the other night at the steerage party. Helga, I think her name was. The sight of her alone with her grief awoke some sort of feeling inside me. I wanted to help her. We were barely acquaintances, but the tiny ounce of familiarity in this sea of hell around me offered a tiny crumb of comfort.

I silently got to my feet and walked slowly across the deck towards her. She looked up as I sat down next to her, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Helga?" I asked, my voice quiet and bland from under-use.

She nodded timidly, thinking hard as she worked out who I was.

"Rose?" she finally asked, her crying subsiding a little.

I nodded in reply, allowing the corners of my mouth to crease into half a smile - the closest to a happy reaction I could muster.

An awkward silence followed, neither of us sure what to say. Slowly, I put my arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad you survived" I finally said. It was all I could think of.

"Uh..." Helga replied awkwardly. "English... no?" she said slowly.

Ah. She doesn't speak English. Well this was a bit awkward. How had she gotten so close to Fabrizio in such little time when she didn't speak English?

"Oh... I'm sorry" I replied, thinking for a moment. What was her surname again? I was sure she had told me when we met briefly at the party. Dahl? That was a Norwegian name, wasn't it?

"Norsk?" I asked tentatively. Amazingly, her eyes lit up slightly. She nodded pleased to finally understand something.

Aha, a breakthrough! By some happy coincidence, one of my governesses as a child, Greta, had been Norwegian. It was all the rage to have a European governess in Philadelphia at the time, and, ever the one to impress, Mother wasn't going to skip the trend. She was my governess for the longest of the several I'd had growing up. However, Mother grew tired of her eventually and had her swiftly replaced, much to my dismay. Greta was my favourite of the governesses, and she had taken pleasure in teaching me her own language, once she found me a willing and eager pupil. I thoroughly enjoyed learning, and grasped the language quickly. I think the excuse to speak her mother tongue reminded Greta of home. And as long as my more socially-required French didn't suffer, Mother didn't mind me learning it. My governess's friendly and fun approach to teaching meant that I now understood Norwegian rather well.

"Hvor er Fabrizio?" she asked me, reaching out to squeeze my arm urgently.

My smile faded.

"Jeg vet ikke" I replied quietly.

"I don't know"

Helga's face fell. Fresh tears formed in her eyes and she buried her face in her hands to hide them.

"He is dead, I'm sure" she sobbed. I forced my brain to remember the Norwegian words I hadn't used in a good few years to piece together what she was saying.

"My parents too, are dead, I'm sure. We made it to the deck before all the boats were gone, but we were separated in the crowd. An officer persuaded me to get into one of the last boats. I looked and looked but my parents were gone"

I felt truly sorry for her. I wished there was more I could do to comfort her, but the most I could do was put my arms around her comfortingly. We sat huddled together in silence for a while, sharing our mutual grief, until we were interrupted by one of the ship's officers, taking names for the list of survivors.

I paused before answering. I couldn't give my real name. The survivors list was surely the first place Cal would continue his search for me. No, I needed another...

"Dawson" I found myself saying. "Rose Dawson"

He thanked me with a nod and left us.

Taking Jack's name felt like the right thing to do for several reasons. Firstly, it would provide me with a disguise to hide me from Cal, should he turn to the lists in search of me. Secondly, it was the only way I had left to connect myself to him. If I couldn't have Jack, I would remember him with his name. Rose DeWitt Bukater had died on the Titanic. Rose Dawson was a new person, and she intended to make each day count.


	3. Chapter 3

Molly's POV

I left the ship's infirmary, in search of an officer to arrange a telegram to my residence in New York. This proved to be harder than I expected. The ship's crew that I could see were all very busy-looking, and those that weren't were mostly being harassed by poor, desperate souls from the Titanic, urgently trying to find loved ones against all odds.

I shook my head sadly. The events of the night before had shocked me beyond belief. It had been pure torture sitting there, dry and safe in the lifeboat, while right in front of me, the grandest ship in the world rose up into the night sky, taking so many unfortunate souls with her. I hadn't been able to believe what was happening when those around me refused to go back to the site to rescue whoever we could. I'd hoped that when Lowe's boat finally went back to search, the others would follow. Alas, I was mistaken. It took a good long time after Lowe's boat had finished it's search before I finally managed to persuade a less than willing officer to try one more search. And thank God we had.

Finding Jack alive felt like a tiny ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark world. I had only met him a couple of times, but I'd always had a good judgement of people, and I knew he was a good sort. The happiness was bitter sweet, of course. I was heartbroken to hear that Rose hadn't survived. My heart sank as I realised that I'd have to tell her mother...

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sight of an officer ahead of me, carrying a clipboard. He seemed to be taking names for the survivors list. I hadn't thought add my name to the list until now; I'd been too busy worrying about Jack. Now that he was awake, I supposed I should really get both of our names put down.

The flustered man quickly scribbled my own name down on the First Class list, after which I asked him to add another name to the Third Class list. He fumbled with the many pieces of paper on his board, and as he flipped through the pages to the tragically short Third Class list, I caught sight of one particular name that made my heard jump. Rose Dawson.

"Wait!" I put my hand on his, pausing him. "Go back to that last page"

He quickly turned to the previous page, and held the board out for me to look. I scanned the list of names, willing it to not be my imagination. And there it was again. Rose Dawson.

"Oh my God..." I breathed to myself. Of course, I could be completely wrong. It could be a completely different person. But something inside me told me it was worth a look.

"Where are the Third Class passengers?" I asked the officer.

"Down on that deck, ma'am" he gestured behind him to the deck below.

"Thank you" I was eager to start my search as soon as possible, but the officer quickly called me back.

"Ma'am, didn't you wish to add another name?"

"Oh, yes, of course, sorry"

I quickly gave him Jack's name for the list, before heading swiftly for the Third Class section, all thoughts of my telegram forgotten.

I forced myself to walk slowly through the clusters of miserable people gathered on the decks. The sense of sadness in the air was so thick that it felt almost disrespectful to rush, like at a funeral. I let my eyes do the rushing for me. I don't think I'd ever looked at so many people so carefully in such a short time in my life. I'd make my way through most of the deck, and was beginning to resign myself to the fact that I had been wrong, when I suddenly caught sight of a head of bright red curls half-wrapped under a blanket.

"Rose!" I clutched my chest as I rushed over to where she sat with a blonde girl of a similar age.

She looked up as she heard me, her face etched with alarm rather than joy or relief at having been found.

"Molly!" she gasped as I hugged her tight. Again, surprise, but not joy. The blonde girl looked curious as to who I was, but she didn't interrupt us, simply watched, smiling slightly at Rose having found someone she knew.

"Oh, I can't believe it's really you! Oh thank God you're OK!" I gushed, hugging her tighter. She hugged me back, though she didn't sound nearly as enthusiastic to see me.

"It's good to see you, Molly" she said, giving me a sad smile, which quickly darkened to seriousness. "But please, you can't tell Mother I'm alive. Or Cal. He's alive, I've seen him looking for me. Please Molly, I can't go back to them, not ever"

"Easy, girl, calm down" I stroked my hand down her face, trying to calm her. "I won't tell them if you don't want me to. Though your mother was in such a state of shock all night. Probably still is, though I haven't seen her since, well-"

"I don't care" Rose cut me off. "I don't care how sad she is that I'm dead. She hasn't cared for my feelings for a long time. She needs to keep believing I'm dead"

I nodded in agreement, though her sense of urgency concerned me.

"Rose, darlin', you seem pretty shaken up. Lets get you some tea or something"

I tried to take her arm to lead her inside, but she gently but firmly pulled away.

"No, thank you, I'm fine. It's just, I..."

She sighed. She seemed so overwhelmed. Exhausted. It was painful to see.

"You have no idea how lucky I am to even be here, Molly"

I smiled.

"Oh yes I do" I replied. "I know exactly how lucky you are to be here. I know everything that happened to you last night. All of it. From the moment you ran away from our lifeboat to when the ship went down"

She looked at me, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"But how could you possibly know? The only way you could know without hearing it from me is..."

She suddenly hid her face in her blanket to hide her tears.

I put my arm around her comfortingly, but also shook her urgently.

"Rose, that's exactly why I came to find you! Jack isn't dead, he's alive, and on this very ship!"

She slowly peeked out from behind her blanket, her damp eyes a mixture of grief, shock, and disbelief.

"No... he can't be..." she stammered. "He can't be, I saw him die! I saw him sink under the water..." She hid her face again, fresh tears forming.

"Well he is!" I shook her again. "Rose, please, come with me now"

I gently but firmly began to lead her back across the deck.

The steward at the gate said something about Third Class passengers not being allowed beyond this point, but I brushed him aside, telling him firmly that she was with me. He was wise not to argue. Rose silently followed my lead, still obviously too sad to consider believing my words.

She kept her arm linked with mine, content to be led blindly as we entered the infirmary. I was taken aback with surprise at the force with which she broke away from me when she finally spotted Jack, as well as the volume with which she shouted his name.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose's POV

I followed Molly through the ship in disbelief. How could she possibly be right? How could Jack really be alive? I saw his body sink into the sea. Surely there was no way he could have survived. Molly was surely mistaken, but I simply didn't have the energy to argue with her, strong willed as she was, and simply let her drag me through the ship, bracing myself for the fact that whoever she was bringing me to would be the wrong person.

And then she led me into the infirmary, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Jack!" I screamed in shock. I broke free from Molly's grasp and ran towards him. Jack, my one and only true love. He was here, he was alive.

I ran to his bed and threw my arms around him, not caring that he wasn't even awake. I hugged him tight, tears falling from my eyes.

"Oh my God, you're alive... oh God..." I muttered repeatedly, my face buried in his shoulder. He suddenly squirmed in my arms and groaned; he was waking up. I forced myself to unwind my arms from him and lean back. I sat down beside him, holding tight to his hand, and watched him wake up. I was afraid to blink in case I was imagining the whole thing. I forced myself to blink hard, bracing myself for it all to disappear, but when I opened my eyes, he was still there. I watched him slowly open his eyes and blinked hard in surprise when he saw me. He had clearly thought me dead too.

"Rose?" he asked, his voice shaky.

I couldn't help but smile through my tears at the sound of his voice. "Oh Jack" I sobbed. "I thought you were dead!" I through my arms around him again, not wanting to ever let him go again. He wrapped his own arms around me, holding me tight against him.

"I thought you were too" he replied. "God, it's really you.."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, happy to just hold each other, a luxury we both never thought we'd have again.

"How?" I asked, finally pulling back to look him in he eyes. "How can you be here? I saw you go down into the water..."

"I guess I was just unconscious" he shrugged. "But when I came back up you were gone, I couldn't see or hear you anywhere... I thought you must be gone... I was picked up by a boat"

"So was I" I replied, awestruck at how similar our stories were and yet we had been oblivious to each other's survival. "I tried to wake you up when I saw the boat, but I couldn't. I was so sure you were gone..."

"I guess that's why I couldn't find you when I came back up" said Jack vaguely, probably thinking back. "I didn't even assume there had been another boat, I just assumed you hadn't made it either"

"Thank God I managed to get those ridiculous officers to send another boat back" came Molly's voice from behind us. We had both completely forgotten she was here. She stood watching us, a tear or two of happiness in her own eyes.

I couldn't help but chuckle. The thought of Molly Brown ordering the officers of the Titanic around was not unbelievable at all.

"Molly, how did you find her?" Jack asked, one hand still softly stroking my hair.

"Well" Molly laughed slightly. "There I was adding both of our names to the survivors list, when I suddenly found a name on the Third Class section. Rose Dawson. Well something told me that it was well worth a look, at the very least" She smiled at me, seeming impressed at my disguise.

"Rose Dawson?" Jack smiled at me.

I suddenly felt slightly guilty at having taken his name.

"I figured the best way of hiding from Mother and Cal would be to change my name. Oh, I just feel like such an idiot now! I didn't even think to try to look for you... I just assumed... You must think me so stupid"

Jack swept a lock of my sea-salted and matted hair away from my face, lifting my chin to look me in the eye.

"Rose, I could never think that about you. I love you"

"I love you too" I replied, smiling through the fresh tears forming in my eyes. We both leaned forward and kissed, wrapping our arms tight around each other once more. In that moment I'd never been happier. I had everything I wanted right here.

I suddenly felt his body tremble, and was surprised when he quickly pulled away from me as a short coughing fit took over. I rubbed his back concernedly and handed him a glass of water from the bedside table once the coughing passed.

"Jack, are you OK?" I asked, pained to see him troubled.

"Just a bit of hypothermia from the water" he replied, shrugging it off as though it didn't matter. "It'll pass, it's not important"

"Of course it's important!" I replied seriously. "I'm not losing you to sickness after everything we've been through"

"Don't worry, you won't" he smiled back at me. "I'm fine, I can probably get up soon"

"No you won't" I said firmly. "You'll stay here and rest properly til the doctor says otherwise. Besides, the sooner you're better, the sooner we can start our lives together"

His smile widened still, but his eyes suddenly narrowed in concern.

"Rose, are you sure you still want to be with me? I know you said you were getting off the ship with me, but please think. This is a big step you're taking. You're giving up money, security, safety. I know I said those things weren't important, but after last night... I don't ever want to see you in danger again, Rose. I won't hate you if you want to go back to your mother"

It was truly touching to hear him say such things about me, but nevertheless my feelings were as adamant today as they had been before the sinking.

"Jack, I've made my decision, and I don't regret it one bit. I've been happier in these few days I've known you than I have been for years, my whole life, perhaps. I know exactly what I'm giving up and what I'm taking on, and I wouldn't have it any other way"

"It makes me so happy to hear you say that"

We shared another smile for a moment, before we were suddenly broken from our shared trance by Molly politely clearing her throat to get our attention.

"I hate to interrupt, but I just thought I'd let you know, I'd already offered Jack a place to stay with me in New York, Rose, but of course I'd be happy to put the two of you up for as long as you need"

"Thank you Molly" I was genuinely grateful for her kindness, which was so rare amongst our circle. "But..." I hesitated. "I don't know if that would be safe. Cal is alive, and he's looking for me. You know what it's like with our lot; someone may see us with you, and then it's only a matter of time before someone tells him where we are. Or worse, the papers. There's bound to be reporters waiting for us in New York"

"Oh Lord, that's true enough" Molly sighed sadly. "God if I'd known that money came with the curse of not being able to sneeze without it being in the gossip columns, why I'd still be in my Colorado log cabin this minute"

"Yeah, it's probably best we lay low somewhere" Jack agreed. "I've never really spent a lot of time in New York though, I don't really know of anywhere we could stay"

I knew New York slightly better, though of course most people and places I had frequented would never let us through their doors. Besides, any one of those people could easily inform Mother or Cal of us. I raked my brains for anyone at all who may be able to help.

Mother hadn't allowed me to choose my own friends; she knew I'd go for the ones she wouldn't approve of. She had chosen for me, and arranged tea parties and lunches with the daughters of her own friends; spoilt, snobbish rich girls whose main occupation consisted of gossiping about others and what fashion was currently in style; the exact image of their mothers. I had loathed them all. Whenever possible I had snuck out of the house to the stables, where my one friend worked as a stable boy; Nathan Calvert. He had been my favourite companion during my early teens. Only a few years older than me, he was the only friend my own age I'd had. Mother knew I was fond of him, but had she discovered my evening escapades to spend time in the stables with him, he would surely have been dismissed. Thankfully, I was a quiet sneaker. Countless happy evenings had been spent with Nathan in those stables, probably the happiest times of my childhood.

Alarm bells rang in my head as I thought of him Nathan Calvert! That was it!

I had been crushed when he had told me he was moving to New York, to work with carriage horses there. We wrote frequently up until I left America for Europe with Mother. He had done well, and now lived in New York with his wife and young daughter. Nathan and I had been very close for several years during my early teens. I was sure he wouldn't turn me away in our time of need.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack's POV

I couldn't believe it! My beautiful, sweet, spirited Rose was alive! I was overcome with joy just to hold her, to feel her soft red curls, the feel of her lips on mine. It was a luxury I truly believed was gone from me forever, and to have her back was nothing short of a miracle. We were both so happy to be discussing our plans for when we finally reached America, but under the surface we were both secretly apprehensive.

I knew straight away that there was no way I would allow to sleep rough, in parks and under bridges, as I had many times. It was too dangerous for a young woman. Just thinking of Rose in a dangerous situation filled with with a protective urge that I hadn't felt before. I suppose it was a true sign of my feelings for her.

I wished we could take up Molly's offer of a place to stay, but Rose was right. Staying with someone so closely linked to Cal's social group was far too risky. We needed to keep as far away from him as possible. After several moments, I could see Rose was deep in thought.

"Rose, what is it?" I asked.

"Well..." she replied hesitantly. "I think I may have thought of someone who might be able to help us"

"Really? Who?"

"Nathan Calvert" she said. "He used to work for my family in Philadelphia, as a stable boy. We were good friends for several years, before he moved to New York. We kept in touch, I still know his address, as long as he hasn't moved since I last wrote from Paris. I'm sure he would want to help me"

"Not a former love interest I hope?" I teased her with a wink.

"No, no, nothing like that" she giggled in reply. "He was always far more like a brother to me. Not helped by our matching red hair, to be honest"

"Well, it's worth a shot" I said, relieved that we had managed to think of someone who may be able to help.

"Here, Rose" Molly suddenly pulled a small notepad and pencil out of her handbag - could it be the same one I had borrowed to write that note to Rose after dinner? God it felt like a lifetime ago now. "Write down what you want to say in the message and I'll get it sent for you. I need to send a telegram to New York myself"

Rose spent several minutes deciding exactly what to say, rewriting her words several times. I could understand, to compress a lifetime of drama in the space of one night into a few short telegraph sentences isn't easy. Eventually she was satisfied, and handed the folded paper to Molly.

"Thank you, Molly" Rose stood up and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much, for everything"

"Oh it's nothing, dear, I'm just happy to see a bit of happiness after all this misery we've been through"

Once we were alone, we began to talk.

We had known each other only a few days, although those few days had been so intense that it was easy to forget that we had known each other for such a small amount of time. But at the same time, there was still so much we hardly knew about each other. We knew each other's basic history, but all the small details, the tiny facts and snippets that truly make someone, were missing. There was still so much to piece together. As a sort of ice breaker, I asked her to tell me more about this Nathan Calvert, since we would hopefully be meeting in a few days.

"Well" she said, thinking for a moment. "I haven't seen him in almost 4 years. He left us just before I turned 14. I remember he had turned 18 himself a few months earlier, and he felt he was too old to still be a stable boy. There wasn't any real hope of a promotion with us, so he decided to head to New York, to work with carriage horses.

"He always loved horses. I could always tell how much he enjoyed his job. When we first began making friends, I remember, he took me from one stall to the next and introduced all the horses to me individually, as though they were his real friends. I was never brave enough to do too much with them other than a few strokes, but I was happy to just watch Nathan being himself with them. I spent quite a lot of time in those stables actually"

"I bet your mother was pleased" I replied, raising an eyebrow at the thought.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"God, of course not. She said it was unladylike for me to be spending time with animals and staff. I really wasn't supposed to spend time with Nathan, or in the stables, but I used to sneak out in the evenings, after dinner. I'd tell mother I was going to study, and not to disturb me, then escape through the library window. She was always too preoccupied to notice, thankfully"

"So you've always been a bit of a troublemaker?" I laughed.

"And what about you then?" she teased back. "Were you a perfect angel?"

I couldn't help but laugh. I was far from it. I began to tell her about my childhood school days, during which I spent far more time annoying the teachers and attempting to impress my classmates than studying. I wasn't a very technically minded student; I was always far better at, and more interested in art than maths or science, and would often get caught sketching rather than working. As a result I was often on the receiving end of the cane of Mr Henderson, the particularly unforgiving maths teacher. My parents were not impressed. They wanted me to study hard and get a good job one day, but I just couldn't see what the point would be. We'd never had a lot of money, just enough to get by with what we had, but I was happy, and so I didn't see why I should aspire to be anything else.

I told Rose more about my home in Chippewa Falls. My parents owned a house outside of the main village, neighboured by farms. Our house had a fair bit of land, although we didn't farm ourselves. We did own several horses though; my father, a carpenter, used them for transporting materials and furniture to and from the village. If ever he had to deliver to another village, as he often did, I would come with him for the ride, during which I would sketch the world around me, and he would teach me how to drive the horse. I also learned how to ride, and always enjoyed this far more than driving.

I didn't have a horse of my own, although I favoured one in particular. Thunder, who was named after the night he was born, when I was 9, during which the worse storm the village had seen for many years raged. As I hid my head under my pillow to block out the noise, my father spent all night in the stable, coaxing the mare through her labour. And when I joined him in the morning, there was a jet black foal, already up and walking. I began spending much of my free time with Thunder, and when the time came I helped my father train him.

Rose seemed intrigued by my stories, but I was just as intrigued to hear more of hers. After some prompting, she began to tell me tales of her own childhood. She told me her memories of her father, whom had died when she was 11.

"He was a kind man. Completely the opposite of Mother" she said. "He always made an effort to teach me things that she never would have. He used to sit me on his lap in his study most evenings and show me history books. I loved history. American, European, even a bit of Asian history. I sometimes wish I had carried on studying it after he died, but all those history books were just too painful to look at afterwards. They brought back too many memories"

"I know what you mean" I replied. "Part of the reason I travelled so far was to put distance between myself and home after the fire that killed my parents"

"Do you think you'll ever go back?"

"Maybe. One day. Anyway, carry on"

Rose continued her story, talking about being sent away to finishing school, and how much she hated it there. The snobbish posh girls, the dull lessons, mainly focusing on household management rather than anything of real interest to her, and worst of all, the emphasis on needing to find a husband. The best one possible, and quickly.

"That's the main reason I even had to go" Rose continued. "Sadly my father made several business mistakes. He died so suddenly, the heart attack was so unexpected, that after he died the business just fell apart. There was a lot of debt and not much else. Mother used most of what we had left to pay for my finishing school, to make sure I was as suitable as possible to find a man rich enough to save us from ruin"

"Cal..."

"Yes" Rose nodded sadly, and sighed. "It was such an unbearable pressure"

I took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"That's all over now" I told her. "I promise, you'll never have that pressure on you again"

She smiled, and leaned in to kiss me again. When we finally broke apart, I couldn't help but yawn.

"Sorry, I'm a bit tired" I said.

"Of course, you're still recovering" said Rose. "I'll stay with you while you sleep"

"No, please, go outside" I told her. "Go and get something to eat, there's no point you staying in here. The less time you spend in here the better,, the last thing we need is you catching anything as well"

She smiled.

"I'll be back later" she said, leaning in for a hug. We held each other tight for a moment before reluctantly parting ways.

I slid down further into the bed once she was gone and allowed myself to fall into sleep. Blissful happiness sure was exhausting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If so, feel free to drop me a quick message in the reviews. I'd love to hear more about what you all thing, and I'm always open to suggestions. So far I'm enjoying rewriting my own work - I still like this story, and polishing it up is proving to be quite fun. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter.
> 
> Ciao :) x

Rose's POV

I left the infirmary, pulling my blanket up over my head once more to hide my not only my identity, but also the enormous smile that I couldn't lose even if I tried. I was so happy I felt as though I were walking on air. Jack was alive, truly alive, and we would soon be starting our lives together. I walked, giddy with joy, until a sudden voice from ahead jolted me back to reality.

"Rose" shouted Helga as she ran excitedly towards me, her face filled with as much happiness as my own. For running alongside her, hand locked tight in hers, was Fabrizio.

"Rose! I found him at last! My love is alive!" Helga shouted excitedly in Norwegian.

The three of us collided in a hug on the deck as they reached me.

"Ah Rose, I'm so glad to see you alive also!" said Fabrizio, who looked dishevelled but very much alive.

"It's wonderful to see you too!" I replied, my happiness only ever growing. "How did you survive?"

"Ah, I am very lucky to be here" he replied. "I was able to climb on an upturned lifeboat. The last one, I believe. It was swept off of the ship just before the end. A funnel landed very close to us, killing many people. So sad to see..." He shook his head sadly for a moment. His expression of joy suddenly switched to one of sadness.

"My only wish is that my friend were here too. I am sure that Jack is dead, I cannot find him anywhere out here"

My heart leaped with excitement at being able to deliver such happy news.

"No, Fabrizio, he isn't! Jack is alive!"

He looked puzzled for a moment.

"But how? Where is he?"

"He's in the infirmary for now. He's a little bit sick from being in the ocean for too long, but he'll be fine"

I explained to Fabrizio and Helga, chopping and changing between languages, of how Jack and I had fought the sinking ship right until the last moment, and how we had waited together for the lifeboats in the water. I told him of how we had been separately rescued, and just now reunited.

"Ah, this is why you are so happy!" said Fabrizio, brimming with happiness once more. "Please, when can I see Jack?"

I looked out at the sun beginning to set across the ocean. It was now early evening.

"I think it would be best to wait until tomorrow. He was quite tired when I left him a few minutes ago, and it's the evening now anyway"

Fabrizio nodded in agreement.

"This is true. Tomorrow then" he smiled.

I explained the situation to Helga when she repeated the same request in Norwegian.

Fabrizio shook his head slightly.

"Ah, this is frustrating" he sighed. "She knows very little England, no Italiano, nor I her language. She knows that I love her, and little else. It worries me"

I thought hard. I had a vague memory from several months ago, in New York just before the voyage to Europe. We'd had several days in New York beforehand, to meet people and socialise ("Few things are more important than being seen in the right places with the right people", said Mother). One of the many people we'd entertained for dinner had been one Lady Charlotte Norman, whom had told us all about a local centre she supported, funding English lessons for new arrivals in America from Europe. I remembered how impressed I had been to meet someone of our circle who was actually genuinely charitable.

I explained to Fabrizio about the centre, and then to Helga in Norwegian. They were both enthusiastic.

"Ah, this would be wonderful!" said Fabrizio, putting his arm around Helga, who smiled up at him adoringly. "I suppose this is our plan for now. To stay in New York for Helga to learn"

"Do you have any plans for afterwards?" I asked.

"Not really. It is hard for us to discuss, of course" he replied. "But I always wanted to see Florida. I have heard it is very beautiful, and I would like to return to the sun. I never much liked the cold"

"Yes, it is very beautiful. I've been there once, on a holiday, but I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I'd have liked"

"Why is that? Did you not stay long enough?"

"No, it wasn't that. I would have loved to have seen more of the scenery, and the beaches, but my mother had already planned an endless number of dull social events, so I never got to set foot on the sand even once, let alone get close to the sea. My mother always said beaches were dirty, common places"

"Ah... your family is rich, no?"

"Rich and far too well known" I sighed sadly. "My mother went so far as to try to force me into an arranged marriage with an awful man. He was controlling, selfish, obnoxious, he hit me several times and he pressured me many times to come to his bed"

Fabrizio looked shocked.

"Bastardo..." he seethed under his breath. "How could any man be so foul as to mistreat a woman this way?"

"That's the heartless person he is" I shrugged lightly. "He was always subtle in his cruelty, but during the sinking he really showed his true colours"

I explained to them both how he had attempted to keep Jack and I apart, chased us through the sinking ship with his gun, and tried to trick me into believing Jack would be safe. These further details turned Fabrizio's face almost blank with rage.

"If ever I see him, I will kill him myself, no question" he said in a matter-of-factly tone that told me he wasn't joking.

"Honestly, I'm too happy to have Jack back to focus on being angry with him. I just want him out of my life. Out of both of our lives. Without him I'm free"

I sighed happily.

"Of course" Fabrizio smiled, giving me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Such a foul beast has never deserved you in the first place. But where will you go when we reach America?"

"We haven't really decided our long term plans" I admitted. "We're probably going to stay with a friend of mine in New York for a few days, just until we get ourselves sorted. We'll need some money first, of course... All I have is what I'm standing up in"

Fabrizio shook his head at my clothes. "It is a crime for such a pretty woman to be dressed in such a hideous coat. In fact it looks like a man's!"

I suddenly became aware of the coat I was wearing. I had been through such roller-coaster of shocks and emotions that I hadn't given the coat a second thought since we were rescued. Now I suddenly remembered who had given it to me. Without a thought for the chilly April sea breeze, I shrugged the oversized rag off of my body and carelessly onto the floor. It landed with a surprisingly heavy bump, which made the three of us exchange curious glances.

Puzzled, I knelt down to examine the mysterious weight of the coat. I plunged a hand into one of the deep pockets, and pulled out the glittering blue diamond necklace, the Heart of the Ocean.

Fabrizio and Helga both gasped at the sight of such an obviously valuable treasure. I simply stared at it in numb shock. This diamond, this god forsaken rock, had survived the sinking. It glittered in the evening sun, it's tauntingly beautiful stones twinkling happily as though death didn't surround it. I stuffed it back into the coat, and in the process my fingers encountered something else inside the coat. I grasped what felt like a soft bundle and pulled out a stack of folded bank notes. Ignoring Fabrizio and Helga's shocked words of disbelief in three languages between them, I investigated the still bulging pockets to retrieve several more identical bundles. There must have been several thousand dollars in total.

"I guess this was him making his own luck..." I muttered, staring down at the haul.

"This money is from Cal?" asked Fabrizio, still looking starstruck at the sight of so much money.

"Yes" I answered. "He must have kept it as bribery money to get onto a lifeboat. And the diamond is worth millions, I'm not surprised he tried to save it"

"Well, it seems money is no longer a problem on your list, Rose" said Fabrizio cheerfully. "If you sell that jewel you'll never have to worry about money for the rest of your days"

"No" I replied, shaking my head. "I'm done with that life. I've had nothing but money for most of my life, and it's never made me happy. I'd rather be penniless than go back to that life"

Fabrizio smiled at me.

"A beauty and a wise mind also" he said. "Jack is very lucky to have you"

I was touched. So few people had ever complimented me on anything other than my appearance, as though I was only to be admired, not considered intelligent.

I looked down at the bundles of notes in my hands and thought carefully. I truly didn't want any riches in my life, but I couldn't ignore the fact that Jack and I had nothing between us, no two coins to rub together. It would be foolish to not take at least some of the money. I picked out half a bundle of notes, enough for us to get by until we found a proper income. Then I gathered the rest of the money and thrust it into Fabrizio's arms.

"Here, take it" I said. "It's yours now"

"No, I couldn't!" he protested, attempting to hand it back, but I refused.

"I have no need for bundles of notes. I have everything I need in the world. It would make me happy to know that it's going to be of use to people who truly deserve it"

He smiled at me, a smile of true gratitude and friendship.

"Grazie, bella Rosa" he said, kissing me on both cheeks, very Mediterranean.

I quickly explained to Helga my present to them, as the poor girl had watched our exchange in shocked puzzlement. She threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much, my friend" she said in Norwegian. Those words touched me deeply, and I hugged her back tight. So this was what it felt like to have genuine friends.

After a night spent huddled under blankets on benches around a table in the crowded communal area of the ship's Third Class section, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise over the water. The wind was crisp and cool, the sky clear. A beautiful day. And the day we were due to arrive in New York. I yawned and stretched, ready to face the day.

Nearby, Helga had also just awoken, and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Rose" she said, proud to have remembered one of the phrases I'd taught her the previous evening.

"Good morning, Helga" I repeated back, glad to see she was happy to learn.

We were quickly joined by Fabrizio, who had awoken before us and taken it upon himself to gather some breakfast.

"Buongiorno" he said cheerfully to us both, setting a tray of tea and toast down on the table.

We ate ravenously, and discussed our approaching destination. I described New York to them both, with it's bustling streets and enormous buildings, always constantly growing, never sleeping. A city for building futures.

Soon after we were done eating, we left for the infirmary to see Jack.

He was awake when we arrived, and his face immediately filled with joy when he saw his best friend.

"Fabrizio!" he shouted with surprised joy.

"Jack! It is true, you are alive!" They embraced tightly, overjoyed to find each other alive after the disaster.

"Oh God it's good to see you" said Jack. "How did you survive?"

"Ah, it is a lucky tale" Fabrizio replied. "I escaped on an upside down lifeboat, the last to leave the ship. But your tale is luckier, no? Rose tells me of how you both ended up in the water"

"Yeah, we were pretty lucky in the end" Jack took my hand and smiled at me. I felt my heart flutter. Love and joy, in equal amounts, creates pure bliss.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him. He seemed much less tired than yesterday.

"A lot better" he replied. "Still not 100% but I'll be fine to leave when we dock"

"Which will be soon I think" said Fabrizio, looking out of a nearby porthole at the very faint skyline on the horizon. "I have waited a long time for America, and now finally I am here. Didn't I say it was my destiny to come to America and become a millionario?"

"Easy there, focus on finding a job first" laughed Jack. "Scraping a few dollars together will be hard enough for now"

"Ah, you are wrong there, my friend" Fabrizio winked and showed Jack the bundles of notes from his pockets. Jack's mouth fell open in shock at the sight of them.

"Where the hell did you get those?!" he gasped.

"A present from your Rose" Fabrizio smiled at me gratefully.

"I suppose I should explain" I chuckled. "It turned out Cal left us a little surprise in that coat of his. Along with this"

I pulled out the diamond necklace to show him. Jack's shocked expression turned to one of surprised awe.

"Woah" he said, stunned. "There's a rock I never thought I'd see again"

"I don't want to sell it" I said firmly. "And I don't want the money. I've kept a little bit to get us by but I have the rest to Fabrizio and Helga. If I ever have money again, I want it to be because I earned it"

"If that's what you want" Jack smiled, giving my hand a squeeze. "As long as we're together, I'm happy"

The ship steamed close to the New York docks during the afternoon. I looked out at the oncoming land ahead. How different my return home was to how I had imagined it. I had expected to return to America trapped in a forced engagement, destined to be locked in high society forever. Now, I was returning a free woman, with the man I loved, ready to start our new lives together. Out of the shadows of the Titanic tragedy, new hope was growing.

When the ship docked in New York a few moments later, the first and second class passengers disembarked first, followed by the third. Once all the other passengers had left, the infirmary was cleared out. Those who were still too sick were taken to nearby hospitals, but most, including Jack, were well enough to leave. I linked my arm tightly through his as we walked out onto the deck into the April sunshine, supporting each other as we touched dry land together for the first time.

"I kept my word" I said, smiling up at him. "I'm still getting off with you"

Jack smiled back at me and kissed my forehead.

"I wouldn't have it any other way"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again :)
> 
> A word of warning, now that we've reached dry land - I am English, and so I apologise for any mistakes or inaccuracies in anything to do with New York or America in general, be it money, geography, landscape, whatever. Feel free to offer any corrections in the reviews and I'll see what I can do, promise :)
> 
> I've enjoyed writing some new characters at last. Although this is a rewrite, I have altered the characters a bit from the original, so it still feels as though I've been getting to know new characters. I hope you enjoy them and this latest chapter :)
> 
> Ciao x

Jack's POV

I breathed in deeply, smelling the salty sea air of the Atlantic coast. I was back home at last. After five years away, I had been everywhere, seen everything, experienced and been through so much, but nothing compared to the joy of being home again.

Luckily, the reporters had cleared out, running after the rich and famous to beg for interviews, statements, and photos. They didn't want anything to do with us lowly common people, which suited us just fine. The last thing we needed was Cal spotting a photo of me or Rose in the paper and somehow tracking us down. Fortunately, he too was nowhere in sight, nor was Ruth. They must've left for the hotel the White Star Line was putting survivors up in for the next few nights, free of charge. We wouldn't have taken the offer of a room even if we hadn't had a plan. The thought of staying in the same building as Cal was horrific.

Fabrizio and Helga both couldn't seem to get enough of the sights around them. They looked eternally happy to be here, in spite of the journey it had taken for them to get here.

"So, how d'you like America?" I asked Fabrizio.

"Belissima!" he shouted, throwing his arms in the air in a very Italian way. I laughed. It was good to see some genuine happiness.

"Glad to hear it" I replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "So, what's the plan for you two?"

"We will stay in the city for now, for Helga to learn English" he explained, his arm tight around the Helga's shoulders. "Rose tells us of a good place to learn. We will stay in the free hotel from the White Star Line, but I'm sure we will find a flat somewhere soon. After that I don't know. I wish to see Florida, but of course I must wait until I can ask Helga properly"

He smiled down at her happily, which she returned in equal measure. Their affection in spite of their barriers was touching to watch.

The conversation leaked away from us, and Fabrizio and I exchanged awkward glances. We both knew what was coming next.

"Well, I suppose this is where we part, my friend," he said sadly.

"I guess so" I replied, equally sadly.

We had been on the road together for nearly two years now. We'd travelled everywhere together, made so many memories, shared hard times, even been though a deadly shipwreck together. Parting so quickly after all we'd been through just seemed so wrong. But it had to be done. We had both found love on the cursed Titanic. We both had commitments now, and bright futures, even if it meant our days of travelling had ended.

Fabrizio held out his hand to me. I took it and we shook hands, but we quickly ended up embracing tightly.

"Ciao, Jack."

"Good-bye, Fabrizio"

"You look after her, ah?" he said cheerfully as we broke apart, gesturing to Rose. "She is a special one"

"And the same to you" I replied. "Good luck, both of you"

Rose and Helga exchanged goodbyes in Norwegian (God, that had been a surprise, finding out that she could knew Norwegian, of all things), and then Fabrizio and I parted ways, for now, both hand in hand with our loves. For me, that parting symbolised more than saying goodbye to a friend. It felt like I was saying goodbye to my reckless life on the road. And saying hello to my new life with Rose. A sad goodbye with a tinge of hope for the future.

Rose and I navigated our way through the bustling New York streets, teeming with people, horses and motor cars. Neither of us knew New York very well, so finding our way to Nathan's address (which Rose knew by heart from his letters), proved to be slower than we'd expected. We'd decided against taking a cab. We wanted to save the money we had, and truly we both were enjoying walking on solid ground. Of course this itself was nothing new, but we were walking on solid ground together, hand in hand, for the first time. The simplest things felt so brand new when doing them with Rose for the first time.

The well-dressed passers by occasionally gave us strange looks as we passed. Some looked repelled, others puzzled, a few looked sympathetic; possibly they suspected that we'd just stepped off of the Carpathia. It was only from these looks that the two of us finally properly realised that we still wore the clothes we'd worn during the sinking, and so neither of us was looking very presentable. Rose had abandoned Cal's coat after becoming too aware of whom it had come from, and her water-stained lilac and white dress was torn at the hem. My clothes were crumpled and stained as well, and I still had the metal cuffs around my wrists. I made a mental note to get rid of them as soon as possible, hopefully before I crossed paths with any police.

Eventually, we found our way out of the city centre, and into the quieter residential areas of New York. It was here, in a modest neighbourhood that Nathan lived. The street on which he lived, Fanshawe Avenue, was a nice area, with rows of modest, but comfortable-looking houses. Rose led the way down the road towards number 56. A few children were playing in the street, throwing balls, skipping rope, or playing on chalked hopscotch courses. The children weren't dressed in rags, nor were they dressed in the finest clothes in New York. They were average, normal children. One or two looked up at us as we passed, but unlike the people of the city centre, most ignored us, favouring the far more important matter of their games.

Rose paused outside a house that was no different from the ones around it. The small front garden was dotted with flower patches, the grass was cut well-enough, and under a bush, a child's toy ball lay abandoned. A normal, family home, basically. Rose took a deep inhale and exhale, and walked up the garden path and knocked on the door. I followed and stood beside her. The door opened, and a man stood in the doorway, a man who I assumed was Nathan Calvert.

He was a tall man, with pale skin and freckles up and down his arms and face. His hair was thick and wavy, a shade of reddish brown that couldn't seem to decide if it was indeed red or brown. His eyes were a wonderful mix of every shade of blue and green possible, and emitted only warmth. If only that colour could be mixed up in a paint, it would be an artist's dream. He smiled widely at us.

"Rose!" he said delightedly when he saw her.

"Nathan!" she replied as they hugged one another tightly.

"Gosh, you've changed since I last saw you!" he said, looking her up and down.

"You've changed, too," she replied. "Although I see the freckles never did die down."

"Well, I see you're still a frizzy redhead." he replied, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at her.

"You're turning into my mother!" Rose shot back at him.

"Oh, gosh, that is a scary thought. Speak of the devil, where is she?"

Rose's smile faded. "Well, it's a long story, Nathan. I'll explain later. But first-" She beckoned me forward. "This is Jack Dawson"

Nathan smiled and held out his hand which I shook with a returning smile.

"Ah…yes. Very nice to meet you" said Nathan. "According to Rose's letter, the pair of you have got a lot of explaining to do before I fully understand who you are, but plenty of time for that later. Come in, come in, please"

He beckoned us inside, into their small sitting room. The place was cosy, with a real homely feel to it. Nathan told us to make ourselves at home. We were just sitting down onto one of the two sofas when we suddenly heard Nathan shouting out of the front door.

"Lucy!" he called in the direction of the children playing along the road. "Come inside now please, our guests are here!"

Moments later, in came a little girl. She looked to be around 6 years old, and she was dressed in a beige and white dress, with her long brunette hair scraped back in two untidy plaits, with her wide dark eyes staring at us from the doorway.

"Lucy, this is Rose and Jack. Remember I told you about the two friends of mine who were coming to stay with us for a while?"

Lucy smiled at us shyly.

"Hello" she said meekly, after we greeted her.

"How about you go and put some tea on for us all, hmm?" her father suggested, giving her a gentle push towards the kitchen and a pat on the head.

"Sorry, she's quite shy around new people" he chuckled.

"She's lovely" said Rose, smiling affectionately, but then her voice turned curious. "She seems... older... than I expected?" Her voice was laced with awkward curiosity.

"Yes, she was 7 in January" Nathan replied. "I know what you're thinking, that she's too old to be mine. Well, the truth is that she isn't mine, biologically at least. Selina and I can't have children I'm afraid"

"Oh Nathan, I'm sorry" said Rose, looking guilty for having pried.

"No, no, it's fine. We adopted Lucy just over a year ago, from an orphanage here in New York. We knew we wanted a family, and although we couldn't make one ourselves, it seemed only right to give someone else a new family instead"

"That's wonderful" I said. Given that I'd just met the man, he was already shaping up to be a pretty decent one in my eyes.

"Thanks" he smiled. "Sorry I didn't explain about Lucy before, but with you off gallivanting in Europe all this time, I never really had a set address to get to you, and it didn't feel right explaining it all in a letter somehow. But anyway, now, you two have some talking to do. Tell me about all this-"

He voice was cut off by the curious sound of thumping...feet? What sounded like many feet. Before my mind had the chance to solve the puzzle of where the noise was coming from, a stampede of black fur suddenly surrounded us, complete with tiny wagging tails and yipping noises. Ah. Paws, not feet.

"Oh no" Nathan chuckled as the 9 puppies swarmed around us excitedly.

They clambered over one another to see who the newcomers were. I felt their sharp little nails digging into my skin as they attempted to climb up my legs. I picked up the one furthest up my left leg to prevent the little rascal from tearing my trousers. He was jet black with fluffy puppy fur and hazel brown eyes, identical to his brothers and sisters. I gave him a bit of a cuddle and then let him rejoin the army. Next to me, Rose was similarly hugging another over excited pup.

"Lucy!" Nathan called into the kitchen. "I did actually put the pups out in the yard to give our guests a bit of peace while they settle in"

"Oh it's fine" Rose giggled as the pup in her lap tried desperately to lick her chin. "You know I always loved dogs"

Out of the corner of my eye, crouched in the kitchen doorway, I spotted one more pup. In contrast to it's siblings, this one's fur was a warm shade of yellow. The odd one out, and the runt, judging by it's size.

"Ah, yes, she's always the most shy" said Nathan when he saw that I'd noticed the yellow pup. "She usually prefers to stick with Lily"

"Lily?" I asked.

"Her mother" said Nathan. As if on que, a full-grown black Labrador suddenly appeared from behind the kitchen doorway. She trotted over to us to see that all was well with her pups, and we patted her for a moment before she settled happily on the floor beneath us to doze.

The yellow pup still hadn't ventured any further than the kitchen doorway. Curious, I decided to try and coax her out. I slowly walked over to her, being careful not to frighten her with sudden movements. Not all that different from approaching a scared horse. I crouched down in front of her and extended a hand, which she hesitantly sniffed for several moments.

"See, that's not so scary, huh?" I spoke to her softly. Soon enough, her sniffs eventually turned to small licks and she allowed me to pet her with two fingers. After a minute she let me slide my hand under her to pick her up. I held her close to my chest and carried her back to the sofa, where Rose promptly melted over her.

"Oh she's so sweet" said Rose as she gently took the puppy from me to cuddle. "I never even knew you were so keen on dogs, Nathan"

"Well, you know I always preferred horses, but Lucy had always wanted one, and what with my wife, I guess I was outnumbered" Nathan chuckled. "And now, of course, I can't move for dogs!"

Lucy rejoined us a moment later, carrying a tea tray which she placed on the coffee table in front of us. We thanked her, and she gave us another shy smile before sinking to the floor to play with the pups.

"Right, now, lets start again" said Nathan. "Tell me what all this is-"

Before he could finish, along came the sound of a key in the front door, and in walked an olive-skinned woman with her hair pinned up stylishly and a shopping basket in the crook of her arm.

"Ah, Selina, you're back" Nathan got up to greet his wife. "This is Rose and Jack" He brought her over to meet us, and we exchanged warm handshakes.

"So nice to finally meet you!" she said in a friendly but thick Spanish accent, settling herself on the sofa beside her husband. "Nathan has told me a lot about you, Rose"

"I've heard a lot about you too" Rose replied. "Nathan said you were working in... Macy's, was it?"

"Yes, I was, with the fashion department. I was very lucky, finding such a good job so soon after arriving in America, but my mother ran a draper's shop at home in Spain, so I already had the experience. I was sad to give it up at first, but I enjoy being a mother more, I think"

She smiled again and reached down to stroke her daughter's hair, her expression giving away the fact that Lucy was obviously a long-desired gift. She enlisted Lucy's help in rounding up the pups and herding them back out into the yard so we could talk in peace. They rejoined us in the sitting room; Selina on the sofa opposite us with Nathan, while Lucy made herself comfortable on the rug by the fireplace. She picked up one of the books scattered around the fireplace in piles and began flicking through it, clearly not interested in grown-up conversation. What 7 year old is?

"But oh goodness, I had such a shock today" Selina continued, her tone now one of concern. "I was out buying the groceries, and of course I passed the newspaper stand - more about that awful ship, the Titanic, of course - and there were two men talking about the Straus having gone down with it! Oh I do hope it's a rumour, Mr Straus was such a nice man to work for. I only met him twice, but he was so kind"

I felt an awful knot in my stomach form as Selina began to talk about the Titanic. She clearly hadn't known, of course, that we were on it. I looked at Rose beside me, who wore an expression that said she felt just as uneasy as I did at the mention of the ship. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She gave me a smile that tried to say she was fine and squeezed my hand back.

"Selina" Nathan said uneasily to his wife as he took her hand, who of course was puzzled as to why everyone in the room suddenly turned so quiet. "Rose and Jack were on the Titanic"

She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she said, her voice filled with guilt and concern. "Oh God, how awful! Are you both OK? What on Earth actually happened? All we hear are rumours, it's all so terrible. Well I suppose this explains why your clothes are so... Well of course, it was such an awful thing to happen. Why didn't you tell me?!"

She looked up at Nathan in annoyance, who shook his head at her with a smile.

"Because I knew you'd go into a panic like you are now" he said. "Rose assured me in her telegram that they were both fine, so I didn't think it would help if they arrived here with you fussing over them as soon as they got through the door"

"I do not fuss!" she said back, feigning insult. "I care"

"Yes, and you do it wonderfully, dear" said Nathan, giving his wife's hand a quick kiss. "Now, for the love of God, will both of you please care to explain what happened to you, before I go crazy"

"Lucy, why don't you go back outside and play?" Selina had her daughter's attention immediately with the suggestion that she could leave. "The other children are still there. Off you go"

Lucy was all too happy to be allowed to rejoin her friends. Selina was wise to let her; this story would be hard enough for them to hear, let alone a 7 year old.

Rose looked at me, as if for reassurance. I gave her an encouraging nod and her hand another squeeze, which again, she returned.

Rose began to tell her story. For the sake of clarity, she began where her last letter to Nathan had left off. It turned out that this was just as she first met Cal, in Paris, and so this portion was new to me as well. So little time has really passed since we'd met that I'd never had the time to learn exactly how Rose met the son of a bitch in the first place.

It turned out that Cal had been in Europe for social reasons around the same time as Rose and her mother, and one way or another, Ruth had managed to strategically place Rose in his way at some gala or other. A month or so of these forced encounters later, in which Ruth largely chatted in place of her daughter, and Cal was convinced that Rose would be a suitable match. Another few weeks of touring Paris and London before making their way to Southampton to board the Titanic, and there our stories met.

It all became quite difficult to listen to after that. Retelling the story of our time on the ship; how we met, our time together, our fight for survival, it brought all the haunting feelings back to us both. By the time Rose had finished talking about the sinking, her eyes had clouded with sorrow and she took slow, shuddering breaths. I put my arm around her and encouraged her to lean against me for comfort.

"Thank you" she said, looking up at me with sad, but dry eyes. "I'm okay now"

She said it to reassure me, but we both knew that neither of us would be truly okay with the enormity of the events that had happened to us. Not for a long time yet.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all :) First of all, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Again, feel free to drop me a note in the reviews if you like, all comments and criticism are welcome.
> 
> Secondly, I'd like to apologise in advance for any slow updating in the next couple of weeks. When I'm not scribbling down stories, I'm actually training to become a veterinary nurse, and I'm working nine days in a row at the hospital starting today. Not that I'm complaining, mending broken animals is my calling :) Also a family member has just surprised myself and my partner with a trip home to Malta for a few days after, so again, not much time for writing!
> 
> Also I'm working on another story idea, which would be a two-series novel. Still very early days, but once I have the first few chapters ready they will be published for your inspection :)
> 
> For now, enjoy this latest chapter.
> 
> Ciao :) x

Rose's POV

It brought back painful memories, telling the story of how I'd met and gotten engaged to Cal. I felt sick to my stomach when I told them about the times he'd hit, threatened, and intimidated me. It hurt even more when I told them about how many times he'd pressured me to come to his bed. Nathan looked furious, his fists clenched like he wanted to tear Cal to shreds. I guess he probably did. Jack looked as bad as I felt when I told Nathan and Selina about the Titanic. Nathan and Selina both turned ghastly pale hearing about the details of the sinking and what Cal had done during it. I was nearly in tears by the time I'd finished. I felt Jack's arms wrap around my shoulders and pull me to lean against him. His comforting touch helped a great deal and several moments later I felt calm again.

Reliving the disaster like that made the realization of what had happened finally sink in. Fifteen hundred people had died on a ship they trusted, which didn't hold enough lifeboats for more than half the people on board. Those poor third class people who were trapped below decks, left to die. It made me burn with fury. I felt a mix of emotions-guilt at having lived when so many had died, anger at the White Star Line for the lack of lifeboats, grief for the fifteen hundred dead. I felt so many things.

Nathan stayed sitting still, staring at the opposite wall. His eyes were blank, his fists clenched. It was like he was in shock. I didn't blame him. One of his best friends had just been in one of the worst shipwrecks in years and had been living with an abusive fiancé.

When he finally spoke, he seethed, "How could he? How could he do that to you, Rose? He ought to have died that night!"

I had to admit that he had a very good point. Cal had selfishly tried to bribe his way off of the ship with no thought for anyone else's safety, even lying to me about being able to help Jack. I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if I'd believed him. It was atrocious that he should be able to get away with it.

"Well" said Selina shakily. "That's all over now. All we can do is be thankful that you're both here safely"

"Yeah. I guess so," Jack replied with a polite smile. "Though we're not too sure where to go from here. We haven't really made any plans for where to go or what to do now we're here in America. We have a bit of money, we'll pay for your letting us stay with you, of course"

Nathan shook his head.

"No you will not" he said firmly. "I couldn't help Rose when she was stuck with that bastard, the least I can do is put you both us for as long as you need. You'll need that money, don't waste it on me"

Yep, that was Nathan. Always so selfless and eager to help.

"Well I think the first thing we'll need to spend that money on is some new clothes" I chimed in.

"And I'm assuming you want to get rid of those," said Nathan, indicating Jack's wrists.

I looked down at them and suddenly realised Jack still had the steel handcuffs locked onto his wrists. I had grown so used to seeing them on him that I had forgotten all about them. He agreed that he should go and see to getting them off tomorrow, as well.

"I know a locksmith in town who could help you out," Nathan said. "He's a bit slow, not too bothered about much. Won't any questions"

That was useful. Few locksmiths would want to remove broken handcuffs from someone without any knowledge of why they were there in the first place.

"Okay, we can go tomorrow" Jack agreed.

"I'll take you to a good store I know, Rose" said Selina to me. "Judging by the wonderful pattern of that dress, I'm sure you already have excellent taste, but I never miss the chance for a trip to a clothes store. Old habits die hard!"

"That would be wonderful" I smiled. Truth be told, I was relieved. Venturing alone into New York felt far too terrifying. "Does Lucy like shopping?"

"Hmm, not as much as I would prefer" Selina chuckled. "She looks so lovely in nice dresses, but at her age she'd rather be outside getting them filthy and torn, or covered in dog hair. The arguments I get from trying to get her to wear anything nice! She can be quite a little madam when she wants"

"Yeah, she can," said Nathan in agreement. "Like someone else I know used to be..."

I rolled my eyes at him. "It's not my fault I was brought up surrounded by posh, hoity-toity brats. Doesn't mean I was one of them. Anyway, you were quite a strange person yourself."

"I was not!"

"Yes you were!"

I thought back to when we were younger. Nathan had seemed quite odd to me, as all the boys his age I knew-not that Mother let me associate with many-were miniature Cals. He was a funny, cocky boy with messy clothes and tousled hair. I'd found him interesting and a fun guy to be with.

We told Jack and Selina about when we were younger. Like the time Mother had caught me helping Nathan to messily shovel hay, and had been furious. Or the time we were having a tree climbing race and I fell and tore my skirt, causing Mother to explode. Nathan even had a few old photographs from the time I'd stolen my father's old box brownie camera and we had taken several snaps of ourselves with the horses. I had slipped Nathan the money to go to town the next day and get them developed. I peered down at the faded black and white image of myself, in a ridiculously expensive dress, standing next to one of the horses in the stable. Nathan had snapped the photo mid-laugh. I looked so young and happy. Those times together with Nathan must have been the few times I did look so happy. None of the formal photographs of me at my family home showed me looking so happy.

It felt good to relive those happy memories. I didn't even know Nathan had kept those crumpled old photos all these years. I felt bad that I hadn't kept any memorabilia of our friendship, but then again, after everything that had happened, the chances of me still having it was slim to none.

I wished my life had taken a different turn. I wished I'd never left America, that I'd never met Cal. But then again, if that hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have met Jack. And that was definitely something I didn't want to change.

Selina soon announced she would start to make dinner.

"I'll give you a hand," I said, determined to pull my weight and learn how to cook. I'd never been taught skills like cooking and cleaning. Mother had always left those jobs to the servants. Now I would need all the practice I could get. At first, Selina refused to let me help, saying I was a guest and shouldn't have to, but I was certain I wanted to, and she gave in when I said I needed the practice.

Once in the kitchen, I watched as Selina took a freshly plucked chicken out of the icebox and expertly prepared it for cooking. My eyes widened at her skill. This was certainly something that would take me a while to master. Selina set me the easier task of peeling potatoes and, after a couple of cuts on my fingers, I soon grasped the skill. Once I had put the potatoes to boil, Selina showed me how to shell peas. It was a fiddly job, but once I'd had some practice, I managed to shell the peas quite quickly. Soon they, too, were boiling with the potatoes. While we waited for the food to cook, Selina gave me a quiz on what I'd learned.

"And what's the most important thing about cooking chicken?" she asked.

I wracked my brain. "To make sure that it's properly cooked to avoid the risk of food poisoning."

Selina smiled. "Great! And how long does it take for potatoes to boil?"

"About twenty minutes, but pierce the potato with a fork halfway through to make sure it's cooking properly," I recited.

"Perfect!" Selina praised me. "We'll make a housewife of you in no time!"

I swelled with pride. I had always been a quick learner, especially when it was something I really wanted to learn, and cooking was definitely one of those things, but I had rarely received much praise from them, particularly by Mother.

Finally, Lucy was called in from her games out in the street, and we all sat down to eat. Everyone complimented my cooking attempts, even Lucy, who was finally beginning to come out of her shell around us.

"Can you make cakes, Rose?" she asked. "Mum showed me how to make sponge cake last week"

"Not yet I'm afraid" I replied. "Maybe one day you can show me how to do it?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

By the time Selina and I had finished cleaning up after the meal, it was after sunset. It wasn't really very late, but the day had still felt exhausting, and Jack and I both found ourselves just wanting to sleep. Nathan showed us upstairs to the spare bedroom, wished us goodnight, and left us alone.

"Dammit, I just realised, we don't have any night clothes" said Jack.

"No matter" I said casually. "We don't need them"

I turned my back and tossed my hair aside, gesturing for him to unbutton my dress.

"Are you sure?" he asked, hesitantly undoing the first button. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Jack, several nights ago you drew me naked wearing one of the most expensive diamonds in the world, and then we made love in the back of someone else's car. I think we can share a bed without any awkwardness"

"Okay, fair point" he smiled back, undoing the rest of the buttons. As the dress slid down to the floor, he placed a gentle kiss on my shoulder. "You're even more beautiful without those fancy clothes, you know"

My heart swelled.

That night we both slept more peacefully than we had in days, wrapped safely in the protection of each other's arms.

The next morning, I awoke to the glorious smell of food. It smelled of eggs, bacon, and toast. I yawned and sat up. Sunlight poured through the window and shone right in my face. I rubbed my eyes. I looked over at Jack, who was awake and staring at me, smiling.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said.

I leaned over and kissed him. "Now it is," I said.

We quickly dressed in the clothes Nathan and Selina had left laid out in the room for us until we could buy some more. Our own clothes had to be thrown away, as they were so water damaged. Thankfully, they were both very similar in size to us.

When we went downstairs, we found Nathan sitting on the sofa, reading the paper, and Lucy playing on the floor with the puppies. Lily looked perfectly happy to have the little girl play with her offspring, and lay close by, supervising. The strong smell of food cooking came from he kitchen. I went into the room to find Selina cooking breakfast. She smiled and said good morning to us.

"Good morning," we replied. I stayed in the kitchen and helped with the cooking while Jack joined Nathan in the sitting room, who was reading the morning paper.

It was tricky work, frying the eggs, because the oil spat at me angrily, but soon I learned to control the temperature and they cooked just fine. I could slice the bread easily enough, but toasting it under the grill was trickier than frying the eggs because it toasted so quickly. I left one slice alone for a second and it burned to a crisp. After several attempts, I got the hang of it.

We all sat down and ate while talking about the day ahead.

"Lucy? Do you want to come shopping with me and Rose?" Selina asked her daughter.

"Do I have to?" she whined. Selina sighed, but I chuckled. Her daughter clearly did not share her passion for fashion.

"Do you not like shopping, Lucy?" I asked her.

"Not really" she replied. "I wish I was a boy. Then I wouldn't have to like it"

"You don't really have to like anything" I told her. "What do you like most?"

"Animals" she smiled. "One day I'm going to be a doctor for animals"

"Which isn't going to happen if you don't start paying closer attention in school, young lady!" her mother chided. Lucy groaned and continued with her breakfast.

"Well, shall we leave about ten?" Selina asked me.

"Perfect, the sooner the better" I replied.

"We'll leave about the same time, then," said Nathan to Jack.

After breakfast, Selina and I washed up and gave the kitchen a quick cleaning while Nathan and Jack took Lily out for a quick morning walk. After much sighing from her mother, Lucy was allowed to stay behind. The street outside was already occupied by several children playing ball games, so she wouldn't be lonely. Finally, the rest of us left to start the day's tasks.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)
> 
> Another day, another chapter :) I'm sorry it's been a little while since I last updated this story, I've been very busy with matters of a broken furry creatures nature, and also with a new second story that I've begun working on. I'm still a tad insecure about that one, as it's not an angle I've seen done in this fandom before, but it's one I'm determined to persue. Anyways, back to this story for now. Enjoy this latest update, I promise there will be more very soon.
> 
> Ciao :) x

Jack's POV

The journey to the locksmiths took only ten minutes. The locksmith himself was a rather short, balding man, with squinting eyes and a dumb expression. I walked up to the counter and cleared my throat. He looked at Nathan and I as though he'd rather be anywhere else but here.

"Yeah? What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Um…do you have anything to get these off?" I asked in a low voice, lifting my wrists to show him the broken handcuffs.

He didn't look suspicious at all, just lifted it and examined the chain and keyhole. "Medium size, three and one-half millimetre thick steel, inch wide keyhole. I'd say you need a size three key"

He stood up and left the room, disappearing into a back storeroom. He returned a moment later with a small silver key. "Try this," he said simply, handing the key to me.

I fitted it into the lock, but the key was slightly too small for the hole. I took it out and handed it back to the guy. "It's too small for the lock," I said. He gave a grunt and walked off, returning a moment later with a slightly bigger key. Again, I fitted it into the lock-and it turned. The steel cuff fell away from my wrist and landed on the counter. I quickly unlocked the other one, which fell away, too. It felt good to finally be free from them. The guy took the key back from me and returned it to the storeroom.

The guy came back to us and said gruffly, "That'll be thirty-two cents." He held out his hand. I gave him one of the dollar bills I had in my pocket. I'd swapped one of the ten dollar bills for ten one dollar bills from Nathan for some smaller change. The guy put it in the cash register and gave me back sixty-eight cents. He didn't say another word as we left the shop. I threw the broken cuffs into the first bin I saw. It sure felt good to finally be rid of them.

"Bit plain, isn't he?" I said to Nathan as we walked back down the street.

"Yeah, he is," Nathan agreed. "I once went in there to buy a lock for the back gate and he accused me of stealing his stock when I carried on looking with one in my hand."

"Well, sure looks like he's really into customer loyalty." I laughed.

"So, that job done, what now?"

"Well... there was something else I was thinking of doing" I said hesitantly. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but actually talking about it felt odd.

"Which is?" asked Nathan.

"I want to ask Rose to marry me"

Nathan's face widened into a delighted smile.

"That's brilliant news!" he said, pulling me into a one-armed hug.

"So I have your permission then?" I joked.

"Of course you do" he replied with a chuckle. "I'm so glad she's ended up with someone who genuinely cares about her, after all these years with those awful people"

"This all still feels kinda surreal to be honest" I admitted. "Rose and I have hardly even known each other for around a week. I'll admit, I do still slightly worry about whether or not she feels the same about me"

"But do you love her?" Nathan asked.

"More than anything" I replied. "I can't explain it. We've been together for such a short time but I'm more certain that I love her than I am of anything else"

"When you know you love someone, time is irrelevant. You could have known each other for years or hours, it doesn't matter when you know exactly what you feel. I knew from the first time I met Selena that she was something special"

"That's exactly how I felt when I met Rose" I smiled, although the memory of our first meeting was bittersweet.

"There you go then" said Nathan. "And honestly, I think the two of you have been through more than enough with the Titanic to know whether or not you're serious about each other. I don't know many people who would jump out of a lifeboat back onto a sinking ship for someone they don't love. I've seen the way she looks at you. It's not a look I often saw her with at home in Philadelphia. Trust me, she loves you"

Nathan's words had helped. He spoke absolute sense. I realise my doubts were completely uncalled for.

"You're right" I replied. "Sorry, it's just I've never felt this strongly for anyone before. But you're right, with the Titanic and everything, she probably would've left a long time ago if she wasn't serious. I'm gonna ask her tonight"

"Excellent" Nathan's joyous grin returned. "Now, first thing's first, you're not going to propose without a ring, are you?"

"Well, hopefully not" I said. "I'd like to get her one, if I can"

Rose and I had split the money we'd kept from Cal's coat before we parted. It wasn't a tiny amount, but an engagement ring could easily eat away the majority of it if I weren't careful. I sighed a little hopelessly. I'd never been very conscious of not having money. I didn't care how poor I was, when I was alone. But now, I wished I had the money to get Rose something nice. I remembered the size of the gaudy rock on the engagement ring Cal had given her (which had somehow slipped off of her hand during the sinking, and had, presumably, gone "straight to the bottom" where it belonged). I could never afford to give Rose something like that.

I aired these concerns to Nathan as he led us through the streets to the shop where he had picked out Selena's ring.

"Jack, trust me, she doesn't care about money or how much something is worth. You should've seen how unhappy she was at home all those years. Money has never made her happy, that was obvious right from the start. Really, that's something you shouldn't be worrying about. Aha, here's the place"

The shop was a modest jewellers. Definitely not the sort of place Cal would have bought anything from. As far as jewellery goes, it wasn't that expensive. But I still had a long hard time deciding on which ring was perfect, without bleeding me dry. There were plenty of rings that were far too showy, the rocks to big, the design too tacky. I knew Rose wouldn't like any of those. Eventually, my eyes caught sight of one ring that was perfect.

It was a ring made of a thin loop of white gold, with a red rose design on top. In the centre of the rose was set a tiny diamond. It was simple, yet beautiful, and one of the most inexpensive rings there. The second I saw it, I knew it was a rose made for my Rose. The ring was sold.

Nathan and I left the shop in a brilliant mood over the successful find. I was still wracked with nerves about the big event of formally asking Rose to marry me, but with such a perfect ring and Nathan's reassurance, I also couldn't wait. As we walked home, taking a short cut through a narrow, quiet street, we were so caught up in our happiness that neither of us spotted the tall, dark-haired man shadowing us in the distance...


	10. Chapter 10

The shopping trip was a success. All of my nerves about venturing into the city soon melted away. Selina was such a naturally chatty and friendly person that she soon made sure I had forgotten my troubles and was enjoying myself. I was glad to have a friend who was so knowledgeable of fashion with me. Before now, my clothes had always been custom-made by seamstresses. My only involvement was to stand still to be measured, and occasionally to suggest colours or other preferences, if Mother would let me get a word in edge-ways.

My mother had always made clothes a hated topic for me. Every time, she would sigh over how my bright red hair was so hard to colour-coordinate, and shake her head hopelessly over the curves that she said made me impossible to dress elegantly. All this had of course done wonders for my self-esteem.

With Selina, however, my appearance was given nothing but complements.

"Such a lovely vibrant shade of red!" she remarked over my hair. "You're so lucky. It stands out so well. Much more interesting than plain old brown"

"My mother never thought so" I replied. "She always said red was too vulgar"

"Then she knows nothing of style" said Selena firmly. I couldn't help but grin at the thought of Mother's face should she be confronted by Selina's criticism.

Selena helped me choose several new dresses in shades of green, blue and lavender. She had a knack of knowing exactly what cut would suit my figure, as well as knowing which colours would bring out my hair perfectly.

"These colours will look wonderful on you!" she said, holding a light blue dress up next to me. "What with summer coming, you'll look wonderful in these!"

I was less enthusiastic at the choosing of a new corset, but again, Selina worked her magic. The corsets I'd been used to were far too restricting, whereas Selina showed me a different style, designed to be more manageable for those who couldn't afford to waste their days away on a chaise lounge.

Shopping for Jack was remarkably easier than for myself. I rather envied men in their lack of diversity in clothing. A few new shirts and trousers, and that was it. However, there was something else I needed to get him that would take far more effort to choose. Which was next on my list as soon as we'd paid for the clothes.

I asked Selina whether there were any good art supply stores nearby.

"Um.. Yes, I believe there's one not far from here" she said. "What do you need?"

"Something important for Jack" I replied.

I explained as we walked to the store, how Jack was an artist, and how all of his work and supplies had gone down with the ship. It was sad to think of all those wonderful drawings at the bottom of the ocean, especially the one he had drawn of me, never to be seen again. After everything he had done for me, I wanted to replace the materials he had lost. I couldn't bring back the lost drawings, but at least I could help him to begin new ones.

"That's a lovely thought, Rose" Selina smiled.

The art store was a treasure trove of everything an artist could need. Any kind of material from pencils to paint, chalk to pastels. As well as every size of canvas and every type of paper you could need. I spent a long time looking around for exactly what I needed. I tried to recall from memory the charcoal I had seen Jack use, as well as the knife he'd used to sharpen them. With a little help from the sales assistant, I soon managed to find the materials, complete with a leather folder with a few fresh sheets of paper. Enough to start again.

"We'd better head home" said Selina as we left the store. "The pups have been on their own for a while, and goodness knows what Lucy's been up to on her own"

As we turned onto the street at last, we saw that Lucy was still happily playing with a few of the neighbourhood children. Someone had managed to get hold of a lump of chalk, and the road was littered with drawn hopscotch boards. We'd arrived just in time to see Lucy tackling one of the longest and widest boards, which she completed to cheers from her friends. She spun a celebratory cartwheel across the pavement, strands of hair falling free from her plaited locks as she spun.

I heard Selina sigh slightly as her daughter's skirts flayed in the breeze of her acrobatics, her hem slightly stained from the dirt of the road.

"Let her have her fun" I told my new friend gently as we walked towards the house. "She won't be a child for long. She should enjoy it while she can"

"I know, I know" Selina replied, shaking her head slightly. "I just worry about how she will be when she's older. She takes no interest in anything ladylike. I don't want her to suffer from being too different later on"

"Lucy seems pretty confident. I'm sure she'll be fine"

We entered the house, and Selina went out into the yard to check on the pups while I took my shopping bags upstairs. When I returned, Selina was preparing some sandwiches for lunch, surrounded by a sea of fur.

"They're lovely little things, but God help me I'll be glad when they go to new homes!" said Selina as she gently shook off a pup clambering at her leg, attracted by the smell of the food.

"They're all so gorgeous!" I gushed, falling to my knees to pet the wriggling balls of fur. I was surrounded by a sea of black pups, with their mother laying relaxed just outside the back door. However, my eyes wandered for the tiny dot of yellow fur amongst the black. I couldn't see her at first. Then suddenly, I found her, in the corner of the kitchen, sniffing curiously at a sack of potatoes.

Cautiously, I got to my feet and walked slowly over to the pup. She froze as I approached, but didn't run away as I crouched down beside her and outstretched a hand for her to sniff. She sniffed delicately, even giving my finger a tiny lick.

"Ah, that pup" Selina smiled as she noticed my interest in her. "She's so timid, poor little thing. I'm afraid she's quite overshadowed by the others"

"She's adorable" I giggled as the pup continued licking my hand, her little yellow tail wagging happily.

I reluctantly tore myself away from her to sit down at eat lunch with Selina, and Lucy, who bolted her food in order to rejoin her friends as quick as possible.

Selina flashed her daughter a disapproving look for shoving down her food with little regard for manners, but I couldn't help but smile. It was rather wonderful to see such a normal, rough, happy child. What I would have given to have been allowed a childhood like Lucy's.

That afternoon, as Selina took out her sewing basket to continue working on a new set of curtains she was fashioning, I asked her if she'd show me some basics on how to sew. I was determined to learn as many new skills as possible. Finally free from the restrictions of wealth and position, I was eager to soak up as much new knowledge as I could.

Selina was only too willing to help. It was fiddly work, but after not too long, she had me successfully threading the needles and perfecting simple stitches on the length of the curtain.

Not long later, we heard the sound of Nathan's key in the front door. I was eager to show both Jack and Nathan my success with the sewing, but my face fell as they entered. They both looked very shaken, with serious looks and in Jack's case, a stain of blood on his shirt from what had evidently been a nosebleed. His face was darkened from the bruise that whatever his had caused the bleed.

"Oh my God, what happened?!" I gasped, casting the fabric aside to go him as he collapsed, exhausted, onto the sofa, completely ignoring the swarm of excited pups that had eagerly come to inspect the arrivals. I glanced at Nathan, who was unhurt, but pale with shock, and visibly very worried. He picked his way through the mass of wagging tails and paws to sink himself down onto the other sofa next to his very concerned looking wife.

"Rose" said Jack through heavy breaths. "We need to leave New York. Soon"

"Why? For God's sake, what happened?!"

Jack winced in pain as I reached up a hand to touch his face. This was surely the result of some sort of assault.

"It's Cal" said Jack, and I felt my heart skip a beat as a shiver of fear ran through me at the mention of his name. "He knows we're alive"


	11. Chapter 11

Jack's POV

Neither Nathan nor I noticed the silhouette of the tall man tailing us as we walked down the street, He noticed us long before we realised he was right behind us. Well, he didn't notice Nathan. It was me he had his infuriated eyes on.

"You!" he yelled angrily, swinging his fist at me. At the sound of his voice I automatically turned round, and his punch hit me right in the face, causing me to stagger sideways. I barely had time to wipe my face with my hand to examine the smear of blood coming from my nose before the man had shoved Nathan out of the way and pushed me against the wall of a shop. I could smell alcohol on his breath and grimaced at the smell.

"Where is she?" he yelled in my face. It was a voice I hadn't known for long but would recognise anywhere. Cal had come back to find us.

His face was full of fury, his usually sleeked back hair tousled and greasy, his suit, though expensive, was crumpled and stained. And that breath. God, he stank like a whiskey looked like a wasp that had been shaken up in a jar - deadly angry.

"Tell me where she is!" he demanded, grabbing me by the shirt to thrust me against the wall painfully.

I decided to use the skillful lying that had made me a success at poker.

"Cal, Rose didn't survive," I told him as calmly as I could.

The shock of my words loosened his grip on me for just the tiniest amount for me to throw him off of me. I pushed him away and then shoved him further onto the pavement with a foot to his chest. Cal staggered around pathetically for a moment, breathing heavily like a bull about to charge

"I don't believe you" he growled under his breath, his bloodshot eyes staring at me with pure hate. "You're lying! Trying to protect the little whore!"

Now it was my turn to punch him in the face. He barely attempted a defence as I lunged forward to plunge my fist painfully into the side of his jaw. He yelled out in pained rage and staggered further backwards. In his clearly drunken state it was almost an unfair fight. Almost.

"Don't you ever call Rose a whore again, you bastard!" I yelled. "And she is dead. She died in the water. It was too cold for her, she couldn't hold on"

Cal looked like he wanted nothing more in the world than to murder me on the spot. The slight hint of distress in his gaze at the thought of Rose having died was suddenly drowned out by yet more anger.

"Oh, really? Well, you obviously saved yourself instead of her. Exactly what I'd expect from a gutter rat." He almost spat his words. Although I was lying, and Rose was alive and well, his accusations still stung. I aimed another punch at him, but he dodged out of the way, and my fist slammed into the wall behind him. I gasped as the bricks scraped my knuckles, drawing blood.

Cal just laughed, the manic laugh of a crazed lunatic, not the sophisticated chortle of a millionaire tycoon. Then his laughs tailed off, as a thought had clearly gone through his crazed mind.

"Or maybe…maybe she's not dead... Maybe you're just lying to keep her safe. Ha! Of course!" his raving words sounded like nothing more than the words of a drunk, not to be taken seriously, but there was danger in his thoughts.

"Oh for God's sake, can you even hear yourself? Just fuck off, Cal. Go back to where no one's got the nerve to tell you what a bastard you are"

"Ha! Don't think your lies can fool me, Dawson! I know she's alive. I know it! Well, I'll find her. Mark my words. One way or another, I'll have her back for myself!" And he staggered off down the busy street, laughing to himself like a maniac, pausing only once to throw up against the side of a wall. His was pitiful. Pitiful and disgusting. He might be drunk, but he was serious. Cal had strong connections and could bribe the police into launching a city-wide search if he wanted to.

My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel panic setting in fact. I had to get Rose out of New York, and soon.

"Jesus Christ! Who the hell was that?"

Nathan, who had wisely stayed out of Cal's firing line the whole time, looked visibly shocked by what he had seen.

"That was Caledon Hockley."

His usually so cheerful face darkened with worry and an almost sick expression.

"We'd better get home" he said. "The others will be back by now."

The walk home was silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I knew I had to get Rose out of the city as soon as possible. There wasn't time to wait for money or proper arrangements, as we'd hoped. It had to happen soon.

I could feel the blood from my bruised nose drying on my face, but I couldn't have cared less about how I looked, or how bad the throbbing from Cal's punch was. It was all I could do to contain the panicked thoughts swimming through my mind about how we were going to get away.

We walked fast along the street towards the house, our stony expressions and serious faces in stark contrast to the sounds of the happily playing neighbourhood children. We heard a call from Lucy as she spotted her father, but as Nathan forced himself to smile and return her wave, I turned my head away to hide the evidence of the fight. She didn't need to see that.

As we walked into the house, we were attacked by a mob of pups, but I didn't crouch down and stroke them. I picked my way past them over to Rose, who was sitting on the sofa, the yellow pup sleeping in her arms. She looked concerned as she saw the dark bruise that had formed on the side of my face.

"Jack, what happened?" she asked in a worried voice, touching the bruise.

I winced in pain. "Rose, we have to leave now. We're in danger"

She looked even more worried.

"Why? What happened?"

"Cal's here. He knows we're alive."

I hated having to tell her this. It was awful seeing how scared she looked at the mention of her ex fiance's name. I explained how he had followed Nathan and I, how he drunk he was, and about the fight.

"Jack told him you were dead" said Nathan. "He's a pretty quick liar actually"

Even in this time of turmoil he attempted to sound light-hearted and jokey, but it's spark caught no one.

"It didn't seem to fool him much though" I replied grimly. "He was drunk, but he'll remember his doubts when he's sober"

"We can't stay in the city" said Rose, her voice shaking like a leaf. "He'll track us down somehow. He'll have the police after us, I know he will"

I pulled her into my arms as frightened tears began to form in her eyes. I held her tight, trying to silently assure her that I would never let Cal get to her as long as I lived.

"Where will you go?" asked Selina, her gentle face etched with a depth of worry that simply did not belong on such usually happy features.

Rose and I looked at each other. Neither of us knew the answer to that question. Where could we go? Rose had never travelled anywhere unguarded before and I had never stayed in one place long enough to put down any roots or develop relationships that would help us while we got back onto our feet. There was only one place I knew of that I knew enough about to feel safe enough to bring Rose there.

"To be honest, the only place I know we can go is Chippewa Falls," I said finally. I

was reluctant about returning. I always had been. It held bad memories. But we had very few options, and at least I knew people there who would welcome us. Dispute it's painful past, Chippewa Falls was a small countryside town; the last place anyone would look for a missing socialite.

She smiled. "That sounds great. It sounds like a nice place, from what you've told me."

"Where is this place?" asked Nathan.

"In Wisconsin" I answered. "Where I'm from. It's the only place I can think of that I know anyone who would help us. Plus it's pretty far out, not exactly the first place Cal would look"

"It sounds safe" Nathan agreed.

"Then it's settled. We'll leave for Chippewa Falls as soon as possible."

"I can get you tickets on a train to Canada tomorrow morning. It stops off there along the way," Nathan offered.

"That would be great," said Rose with a fond smile at her friend. "Thank you so much for all you've done for us, Nathan."

"Hey, what else could I do? I wouldn't just turn away one my closest friends, would I? I'll go down the train station now and get the tickets."

I took some money out of my pocket. "Here's the money for them," I offered, but Nathan refused to take it.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Call it a present from us. You save your money. I reckon you'll need it for other things pretty soon" He winked as he left, leaving Rose looking amused, but puzzled.

"Other things?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Never you mind" I told her, giving her a kiss on the tip of her nose.

Rose smiled, but still looked worried. I pulled her tighter against me.

"It's okay, Rose," I said, trying to comfort her. "I won't let him find us. In a couple of days, we'll be in Wisconsin, far away from him."

"Such an awful man..." said Selina, shaking her head angrily. "He needs to be locked up!"

"He's too rich to be locked up" said Rose gloomily, which was sadly rather true.

"Madonna..." Selina sighed, before turning her attention to me. "Jack, do you need any ice for that bruise?"

"Huh?"

I had been so caught up in the emotions of the event that I had almost forgotten my face was currently bruised and caked in blood.

"No, thanks, I think it'll be fine. I should go wash this off though"

I gave Rose another kiss on the forehead before heading upstairs to make myself look somewhat decent again.

Nathan came back a little while later with the two train tickets to Chippewa Falls. Trailing behind him, looking tired and red-cheeked from her day out in the cool spring air, was Lucy. She didn't look amazingly pleased at being called back inside by her father.

Nathan also carried a paper bag that suggested he hadn't just bought train tickets while he was out.

"Speaking of presents" said Nathan, continuing where he had left off. "Rose, since I'm probably not going to see you for your birthday next month, I should probably give you this now"

He handed the brown paper bag to Rose, who looked curiously confused.

"Sorry I didn't have time to wrap it, but I think you're going to like it," he said with another wink.

Rose's hand delved inside the paper bag. She looked a little puzzled at first, but then a huge smile spread across her face as she pulled out the contents. From the bag, she pulled out a red dog collar and a matching leash. Both of them were puppy-sized. I realised what the present was.

Rose lept up and threw her arms around Nathan excitedly.

"Oh, Nathan, thank you!" she practically squealed like a little girl no older than Lucy. "I've always wanted a puppy!"

Nathan hugged her back.

"I know, I had to listen to you whinging about your mother not letting you have one for long enough!" he laughed. It was so lovely to see how instantly happy Rose had become.

Nathan gestured towards where the pups were playing over in the corner.

"Well, take your pick," he said.

Rose walked over to the pups and beckoned me over. "Jack, come and help me choose," she said excitedly. I joined her by the pups, pretty darn happy myself at being given the chance to adopt one of the pups. My family had had a dog at one point during my childhood; a mongrel named Max whom I'd begged my parents to let me keep after finding him wandering the fields one day, but sadly he was no puppy when we took him in, and he died several years before my parents. Now, for Rose and I to begin our lives together with a new family member was a wonderful thought.

Rose and I watched the pups carefully, wondering which of the black bundled of energy would be ours, but both our eyes kept wandering towards one in particular. A little yellow speck that sat shyly on the sidelines before slowly creeping towards our now slightly more familiar selves. She looked up at us with her big hazel eyes and I felt my heart melt. I looked at Rose and she looked at me. That was it. The pup was sold.

I gently scooped her up in my arms and said, "How d'you fancy living with us?"

She licked my nose happily, her little yellow tail giving a timid but happy wag. I handed her to Rose and she happily cuddled her close. After seeing her look so frightened and upset earlier on, it was wonderful to watch her so blissfully happy with our new puppy.

We carried her over to the sofa and she happily settled down to doze on Rose's lap.

"Now all she needs is a name," said Selina, smiling at the sight of the puppy nuzzling Rose's hand as she stroked her, and probably also the thought that one pup was down, the rest would follow soon!

"We didn't name them because we thought it would be harder to part with them if we did. So, what are you going to call her?" she asked again.

Rose looked the puppy in her lap. "Hmm...maybe something to represent her fur? Goldie, maybe? What do you think, Jack?"

"Um…it sounds like the sort of thing you'd call a goldfish. Hazel, for her eyes?"

"She doesn't really look like a Hazel to me. She's such a sweet puppy. And her fur is a gorgeous honey colour. Honey? How about that? Honey."

I tried it out in my head, looking at the puppy. It sounded perfect. It represented her fur colour and her sweet nature. Honey was our newest family member.

"I think it's a perfect name." I smiled, running my own hand along the dozing puppy's back.

Rose smiled and picked up the red puppy collar. "Welcome to the family, Honey," she said, fastening the collar around her golden neck. Un-phased by her undergoing adoption, Honey merely sighed in her contented snooze.

An awful afternoon had been transformed into a happy event. We had adopted a puppy, and begun our new family. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect timing...

"Rose" I said, dropping my hand from Honey to grasp her hand. "What you just said, welcoming Honey to the family? Well, I was wondering..."

I reached into my pocket to retrieve the small, square jewellery case hidden within.

"How about we properly formalise that?"

Rose gasped as I showed her the box.

"Rose, there's no one else in the world I'd rather make a family with than you. Will you marry me?"

Rose covered her face to hide the tears of happiness falling from her eyes as I opened the lid to show her the ring inside.

"Yes!" she gasped through her tears, with the most intensely happy smile I think I'd ever seen on her. "Yes, yes, I will!" she threw her arms around me and grasped me in a tight hug, disturbing the startled puppy in her lap, who scooted off of her and onto the limited sofa space between us.

I held Rose tight to me, kissing her forehead, her hair, over and over. I couldn't believe how happy I was. Rose and I knew we loved each other more than anything, but now, we were truly going to prove our love to the world, officially.

When Rose finally pulled away, I slid the slender ring onto her trembling hand. It suited her perfectly.

"Jack, it's just perfect" she breathed, staring in awe at the design.

"The second I saw it, it made me think of you" I told her, to which she laughed through another happy sob.

"I think this calls for a celebration!" came Nathan's happy shout. He was practically bouncing with enthusiasm at the joyous occasion. "Selina, where did we put that wine? The one your father sent us from Spain for Christmas"

"It's in the top cupboard where it's always been, you silly old fool" Selina laughed, wiping a couple of happy tears of her own.

"Oh, congratulations, both of you!" she gushed, getting up to give Rose a hug.

Nathan returned from the kitchen with a tray of glasses of Spanish red wine, and raised a toast "to the happy couple". The wine, strong and fruity, soon made us all feel happily warm inside. With her parents so brimming with happiness, Lucy even persuaded her father to let her have a sip of the wine, and gave us all a bit of a laugh when her enthusiasm to try it was disappointed by the taste.

That night, I lay awake in the darkness, just able to make out the form of my future wife from the faint glow of the gaslight outside, laying next to me, a content smile on her face as she slept, our new puppy cuddled up against her. I thought back to the unhappy circumstances that had led us to this moment. Dark as our short history together had been, the only forecast I could see for our future together was one of happiness. Although it had taken a world's worth of pain and hardship to get us here, I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world.

Placing a gentle kiss on Rose's forehead, I cuddled up to her as close as I could, wrapped a protective arm around her, and finally drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

I awoke to a cold, wet nose nuzzling my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Honey standing over me, wide awake and insisting that I should be, too. I yawned and stretched and tried to pull her into a cuddle, but she wasn't finished yet. She began to lick my face, her little pink tongue tickling me and I squirmed away from her, giggling. Finally finished with me, she turned away from me and began to clamber onto Jack's back. She nuzzled him with her nose, but he turned away, groaning. Honey was persistent, however, and began to lick any part of his face she could get to.

"All right, all right! awake," Jack said finally, reluctantly turning back over. He pulled Honey towards him in a hug, smiling as she stared up at him with her oh-so-innocent eyes. "Good morning to you too" he said to her, which she replied to with a lick on the nose. I laughed at how adorable she was.

"Looks like we've got a ready-made alarm clock as well as a puppy," I joked.

"I guess so" Jack agreed, gently setting Honey aside to get closer to me. I cuddled up to his side, laying my head on his chest. It felt so lovely to wake up next to someone I loved.

"What time do we have to leave?" I asked.

"About 12 I think" Jack replied. "It'll take a couple of days to get to Wisconsin, I wish we had time to get some books or something, it could get a bit dull"

This suddenly reminded me. Jack's new drawing supplies! I'd completely forgotten to give them to him! I leaped out of bed quickly, running to the wardrobe where I'd hidden the parcel.

"Rose, what is it?" Jack sat up, eyeing me in puzzlement.

"God, I can't believe I forgot! What with everything yesterday, it completely slipped my mind..."

"What did?"

I retrieved the parcel ad returned to the bed where I handed it over with an excited grin.

"I got you this yesterday" I said as he examined the parcel. "Open it"

He began to untie the string and unfold the packaging paper. His face turned from puzzled to surprised as he found the leather folder and drawing materials.

"Rose..." he breathed, staring down at them.

"I hope it's the right stuff. I tried to remember what you had on the Titanic, but I don't know if it's the same. I just can't get over the fact that all those lovely drawings have gone to waste. I wanted you to be able to start again. I-"

Jack silenced me by pressing his fingers to my lips.

"Rose, it's absolutely perfect" he said. He set the parcel aside and leaned in close to me, kissing me softly on the lips whilst stroking the back of my hair. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned into the kiss. After several minutes we finally broke apart, but our embrace stayed strong. I pressed my head against Jack's shoulder, so blissfully happy just to be held.

"Thank you, Rose" Jack whispered into my hair as he kissed the top of my head. It seemed I had made a good choice after all.

When we finally dressed and made our way downstairs, we entered the kitchen to the same lovely smell of food as we had smelled the day before. I carried Honey downstairs with us, and I set her down outside in the yard to rejoin her siblings for breakfast. She seemed unwilling to leave me. She was strangely calm and relaxed for a puppy by nature in general. She really showed very little of the boisterousness of her siblings. I could only assume it was from being the smallest of the litter.

I helped Selina cook the breakfast, determined to scrape up any extra cooking tips before we left, while Jack joined Nathan, who was outside in feeding the dogs with Lucy. While we prepared the food, we chatted to each other.

"I'm going to miss you when you go," Selina said as she fried the eggs.

"Yes. I'll miss you, too," I replied, slicing the bread to be toasted. I was proud to find that my slices were thin and even, unlike my previous jagged attempts. Then I had a thought. "Do you think Honey will miss her mother and siblings?"

Selina considered for a moment. "I think she may do, but she was so shy, she never really played with the other pups very much. She'll probably miss Lily; she was always close to her mother. But surely all pups get used to leaving home soon enough"

"I feel so mean now, taking her away like that. I'd hate it if that ever happened to me. I suppose it did, but I did that of my own accord. I was never close to my mother"

"Really? Not ever?"

"God, no" I grimaced at the memories. "She may have loved me, but she very rarely proved it in her actions. I don't feel any remorse from leaving her at all"

"Oh, that is a shame" Selina said sadly. "Well, anyway, with some luck, you'll be a mother yourself soon!"

"Oh my... I hadn't thought much about that"

No, I hadn't. I suppose it made sense; Jack and I would be married, and that was what married couples did, wasn't it? Made children? It wasn't that I didn't strictly want children, but I hadn't given the matter much thought. After all, just a matter of days ago, any plans for children would have been with Cal, and that was a thought that made me shudder. Plus, I was still young. I had plenty of time to worry about children later on. Of course, Jack and I hadn't discussed the matter yet, but I knew that I wanted some time to ourselves, just to enjoy being together. There was plenty of time to worry about our future family later.

After a quick breakfast, of eggs, bacon and toast, Jack and I went upstairs to pack the few belongings we now had. Our quick departure meant that we hadn't thought to buy a suitcase yet, so Nathan let us take one of his duffel bags. We had so few possessions between us that they all fit nicely inside the one bag. We would be travelling light, and, thankfully, fast.

"Where will we stay in Chippewa Falls?" I asked, folding my clothes to be packed.

"I'm not sure" Jack replied uneasily, carefully inspecting his new drawing materials before packing them inside the bag. "Remember that I said there was only one boarding house, run by Mrs. Ryan last time I was there. But that was five years ago, though. Things might have changed since then." It sounded like he was trying to stop me from worrying. I wasn't worried, just interested.

"Jack, are you sure you're okay with us going to Chippewa Falls?" I asked. "It can't be easy, going back there. We could always go somewhere else"

"Rose, there's nowhere else that we can go, realistically. We don't have enough money to survive out on the road with no security, and I already said, I'm not putting you through all that. It's a little weird to be going back, yeah, but it's still a pretty nice place, and I know people there. Or at least I hope I still do. And like I said, it's the last place Cal would think to look for us"

Chippewa Falls sounded perfect, a small, quiet country village. I was especially interested in Lake Wissota. Jack had told me about the time he'd fallen through the ice, and a few other bits about the lake. He said in the summer you could go fishing there and come home with fat, juicy fish worthy of either eating or selling. I'd always wanted to go fishing, but Mother would never have allowed it. Far too common.

All too soon, it was time to say good-bye and depart for the station. Nathan would come with us, but Selina stayed behind to watch Lucy and the dogs. We all exchanged hugs and we promised to write to them once we were settled.

"Take care, Rose," Selina said as we said good-bye.

Lucy was a little sad that we were leaving, but was even more sad that Honey was leaving, too.

"Don't you worry, Luce. We'll take very good care of her," I assured her as she hugged the puppy one more time. "You'll have to come and visit her one day soon to make sure we're doing a good job"

That promise cheered her up considerably.

Finally, we were walking down the quiet street towards the station. Honey, who had never been out on the street before, let alone walked on a leash, was quite nervous and I ended up having to carry her. We didn't have time to walk slowly for her. She trembled slightly in my arms, her ears perking up and eyes darting around at the sounds of the bustling people and motor car horns.

As we approached the station at last, something horrible caught my eye. It was a missing poster on a lamp post. On the poster was a photograph of me, stiff and formal, arm in arm with Cal taken at a ball I had attended with him and Mother in Paris. The poster read:

MISSING

Rose DeWitt Bukater, fiancée of Caledon Hockley, has been missing since the Titanic disaster. It is known that she survived, but has not been seen since. Mr. Hockley is very worried about her safety and well-being and is offering a $50,000 reward for her safe return.

I read the poster, my eyes blurring with tears. I looked around and saw the posters on not only this lamppost, but every lamppost as far as the eye could see. I felt the tears roll down my face. I was so scared. I knew Cal would react this way. I just didn't think it would happen literally overnight. Jack and Nathan read the poster, and both saw how serious it was. We had to get out now.

Jack held me close as I shook with fear and wrapped his arms around me protectively. "It's okay, Rose," he said, lifting my head from where it hid buries in his shoulder so I looked him in the eye. "I promise. I won't let him get to you. We're almost out. The train's waiting and as soon as it leaves the station, we're safe. He'll never get to you, Rose. I promise."

I hugged him hard, thanking God fate had brought us together.

"Come on" said Nathan, tearing the poster down from the lamp post and ripping it the shreds, the torn pieces fluttering to the pavement. "The sooner the two of you get out of here, the better"

We stood on the platform for several minutes before the train departed, for the final goodbye. I hugged Nathan and thanked him again for taking us in, and for giving us Honey.

"Hey, you're my best friend. You know I'd do anything for you," he said, smiling at me. "Good luck, both of you" he said as he shook hands with Jack. "Write as soon as you can, save us some worry"

Suddenly, the warning whistle blew. The train was about to leave. We gathered our things and climbed onto the train as it began to slowly steam out of the station. We waved good-bye until the station, and Nathan was consumed in pearly gray smoke. I stared out of the window for several minutes and watched the New York skyline slowly disappear, and my heart felt a little lighter at the sight of the growing distance between us and Cal before me.

We made our way through the cars, looking for the compartment number on our tickets. We were in compartment B-52. I shuddered. Another Titanic reminder. B-52 was the number of the stateroom I had stayed in.

The compartment itself was modest but comfortable. There were two separate bunks, which was a bit of an inconvenience, but we could live with it. The journey would only take two nights. There was a tiny wardrobe space for clothes. There was also a shelf with a small collection of reading material. I was grateful for those books. I wasn't sure what else I would do for the journey. Of course, there wasn't a dog bed, but we made Honey her own bed by laying a couple of warm blankets on the floor. She seemed a bit wary of these new surroundings and gave a nervous yelp whenever the train shuddered or bumped, but she soon managed to get used to it.

Jack and I spent the days the journey took mainly inside our compartment. I devoured the books on the shelf in that time, and I was so absorbed that I didn't notice Jack sketching me curled up on the lower bed, my nose deep in the story. He spent most of the journey sketching; me, Honey, even the outside surroundings, though I knew that he was far more into drawing portraits than landscapes. It seemed he was so happy to have new materials that he would draw anything. Honey however soon became bored and began chasing her tail and chewing on the blanket that was her bed. At night, rather than subject ourselves to sleeping in separate bunks, Jack and I curled up together on the lower bunk. Space was tight, but it just meant that we could sleep ever closer together, which we both preferred. I couldn't get over how wonderful it felt to fall asleep in someone's arms, feeling so safe and protected all night.

Whenever the train stopped at a station, we would go out onto the platform for some fresh air for a few minutes, something which soon became what Honey endured each boring day for. Thankfully for her, the stops were frequent. Although nervous about exploring her new surroundings, she soon became curious as to what the view would be the next time she jumped off the train. As the train steamed west, the cities and towns began to disappear and the land soon became flatter. I even had the delight of seeing a group of deer race past in the field behind one station. Jack seemed amused at my reactions to these sights. He had grown up in these surroundings and was used to them, but I had been kept shut up in the city all my life and had rarely seen the countryside or wild animals. Honey, on the other hand, saw these large, unfamiliar animals as a threat and cowered behind me or Jack whenever they came into sight.

The further west the train went, the safer I felt. The mere thought of being hundreds of miles away from Cal let me sleep soundly at night. I knew well that he would do anything to get his trophy wife back. Well, his wife in practice if not yet by law, to quote the son of a bitch himself. But what harm could he do if he didn't have the faintest idea where I was? I realised how right Jack was; being so far out into the countryside was the safest place for us.

After a two and a half day train ride, I was somewhat relieved to be stepping off the train in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I breathed in the cool country air and felt instantly refreshed. Outside the station, there were pine trees scattered about everywhere, their scent filling my lungs. By the roadside there was a carved wooden sign bearing the words Welcome to Chippewa Falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That little snippet about the sharing a bunk is in tribute to the year and a half my boyfriend and I spent sharing a single bed. Lovely and cosy in winter, but hell in the Maltese summer xD


	13. Chapter 13

Jack's POV

I looked around the almost empty platform of the little town station, noticing how little it had changed in five years. The same pine trees lined the country roads. The same signposts led to the same places. The only thing that had changed about Chippewa Falls was the way I felt about the place.

Throughout my childhood, I had thought of it as a wonderful place, a wild country village miles from any city. I had been so happy growing up here, free to roam the forest and fields with so few cares or dangers. Although I had never been to a proper city, I was aware that they were far less enjoyable places to be. I'd felt sorry for the children who didn't get to spend their days climbing trees, picking wild berries and swimming in a beautiful lake. Of course, everywhere has it's undesirable spots (in my case, the village school), but overall, I had been very happy here. Until the day I lost everything.

After my parents died, I had no longer thought of Chippewa Falls as a place of peace and happiness, but as a place of painful memories and sadness. In the days following the fire, I couldn't go anywhere without the eyes of sympathy and sadness following me. People muttered pitifully behind my back, never allowing me to forget for a minute. I couldn't take that every day for the years to come. I swore then that I would never come back to this place. I'd left the day after the funeral, with less than a sack full of possessions and ten dollars in my pocket. My parents' deaths had taught me that life was too short to waste, so I left, deciding not to rest until I had seen it all. I had left intending never to set eyes on Chippewa Falls again.

And yet, here I was, standing on the platform of the train station in the town that held so much sadness, with my future wife, our canine companion, admittedly still less than a sack full of possessions, and hope for a new life. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought this was how I would return - if I would return at all.

Rose and I walked out of the station and down the road to the centre of the small town. On the way we were passed by several people on horse-drawn carts, and a few more people walking on foot. I didn't recognize any of them, but they all nodded and said hello; Chippewa Falls had always been a friendly community, the sort of place where everyone would greet each other like a friend, even if they'd never met before. Honey seemed slightly less scared out here in the quiet village than she had in the bustling New York, but on the whole, she still wasn't confident enough to walk with us, and so spent most of the walk in Rose's arms. I very much hoped she would grow out of this habit before she got much bigger.

Rose looked delighted to see the countryside. I guessed she hadn't seen much of the country before, what with her high society life and uptight mother. Her delight at the world around her was so lovely to see that I decided to take a detour over a fence and down a forested hill to show her Lake Wissota.

That, too, was the same as I remembered. The same small wooden dock with one or two small fishing boats, the same flock of Canada geese, the same small island in the middle of the lake. The lake itself was surrounded by forest. In summer, Chippewa Falls was occasionally home to a few people would come on a holiday to spend days down to the lake and photograph the wild animals that used the lake as a drinking ground. Rose looked in awe at the vast crystal blue waters. We were in luck today. There were a couple of deer drinking from the lake.

"Oh, they're so beautiful!" Rose gasped when she saw them, her eyes wide with delight. Even though seeing them was no surprise to me, I had to admit that they were beautiful creatures, the likes of which I hadn't seen in a long time. We watched them for a while, until they finally bounded off into the woods.

Rose set Honey down on the ground to explore, and slowly, she crept towards the water, dipped a paw in, and jumped back, startled at the coldness of it. The water was never warm until the height of summer, and even then it could be chilly. Honey shook her paw wildly, shaking off the wet stuff, and walked away. I made a mental note to add water to her ever-growing list of fears. Scaredey-pup.

There weren't many people around today. The whole area was tranquil and peaceful. I stared out at the lake, taking in the beauty of it. I could pinpoint the exact location where I had fallen through the ice all those years ago. Although the experience had been frightening at the time, it was almost funny to think back on now. Far more frightening than the freezing water or roof of ice holding me under, was the wrath of my mother that both my father and I had endured that evening when he brought me home in his arms, soaking wet and trembling under his thick winter jacket. Nevertheless, getting to show off the impressive tale of my near-death-experience at school had more than made up for the week I'd spent in bed with influenza.

Rose and I eventually climbed back up the hill and over the fence and continued along the road. Finally, we approached the town's centre. I'd forgotten how busy it could get on market day. We picked our way through the many shoppers, all eager to get the best of what was on offer. Around us the traders called out, selling their wares.

"Finest cotton in Wisconsin, freshly spun! 50 cents a roll!"

"Fresh fish, excellent weight, fresh from Wissota this morning!"

Poor Honey was scared out of her wits with all the noise. Rose held the puppy close to her chest, whispering calming words into her ear and giving her gentle kisses on the head. I couldn't help but smile. She looked so... maternal?

Guiding us from memory, I steered us in the direction of the town's only boarding house, hoping that there would be an available room. Truth be told, I didn't know what we would do if there wasn't. At the time I'd left, the boarding house had been run by Mrs. Ryan, a friendly Irishwoman with a cheery personality.

The house itself hadn't changed either, except for a new coat of paint and a new door. Inside, I was glad to see that Mrs. Ryan was still there, cheery as ever, chatting with a serious, stern-looking man I remembered as Mr. Harker. He was one of the biggest land owners in the area, and his land was a major source of the local supply of vegetables, fruit, and some meat. As a ruthless businessman, he had actually done quite well for himself in trading his goods, and so was probably the wealthiest resident of the town. Mr. Harker had always been a bit full of himself and didn't hesitate to make it clear to us all how successful he was. He would claim to have friends in high places, only half of which we believed. He was now boasting away to Mrs. Ryan about a big deal he had struck.

"I tell you, it will make me the most successful man to set foot in Chippewa Falls, Mrs. Ryan. I can see the money this deal will bring me right before me, just you wait"

Mrs. Ryan nodded and smiled politely, but I could tell she was getting a bit sick of Mr. Thompson. Her eyes brightened when she was us.

"Jack!" she said delightedly, recognising me instantly. "Well, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Before I had enough room to dodge, she had me grasped in one of her town-famous crushing hugs. I used to called her the constrictor when I was little.

"Oh it's so good to see you again" she said, finally releasing me and turning to Rose. "And who's this?" she asked me.

"This is Rose," I replied. "My fiance" I added proudly.

Her eyes filled with joy.

"Oh Jack, how lovely!" she gushed, pulling Rose into a hug. I fought not to laugh at Rose's shocked face as the air was crushed from her body.

"My goodness, young Jack Dawson, engaged, well now I do feel old!" said Mrs Ryan as she released Rose.

Mr. Harker, on the other hand, looked less than impressed to see me.

"So, you decided to come back, then?" he asked stiffly with a nod that I suppose he considered a friendly greeting. I nodded, equally stiffly. "I see you still haven't made anything of yourself, then", he remarked, taking in my clear lack of possessions, or lodgings, as coming to the boarding house would imply.

"Oh Mr. Harker, really" Mrs Ryan sighed. "Why can't you just be happy he's back in one piece?"

"One piece, and no achievements, as usual"

I rolled my eyes. That was typical of him. If he had his way, every five-year-old in the country would be brainwashed about the economics and business tactics alone, as those were what he considered as the only tools to success in life. He looked down on anyone who wasn't a successful businessman. Anything other than a job description of managing director was a failure. Deciding not to bother replying, I turned to Mrs. Ryan.

"Mrs. Ryan, have you got any rooms available?"

"Indeed, I do have one available" she replied, clearly delighted that we would be staying. It's normally five dollars a week, but I'll let you have it for three dollars." I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up her hand. "No arguments. I'm just glad to see you're back," she said. Then she noticed Honey. "I see you've got yourself a dog, too? I'm fine with dogs in the house, so long as she's house trained, that is."

"Oh, she's very clean," said Rose. "And quiet, she won't be a bother at all, I promise"

"Such a lovely little thing she is" said Mrs Ryan, smiling at Honey as she fondled her soft ears and nuzzling nose, as Rose grinned proudly, looking every inch the proud parent.

Mrs Ryan led us up to the second floor, to a room that was perfect for us. It was just the right size and had a lovely view of the market. Mrs. Ryan even said she had one or two old dog beds somewhere for Honey to sleep in.

She finally left us to settle in and went down to start on supper. Rose and I unpacked and put away our things.

"So, what do you think?" I asked Rose.

"I love it!" she said happily. "I love the whole town. Everyone's so friendly here, except that Mr. Harker downstairs. He seemed quite rude and arrogant to me."

"Yeah. He's always been like that" Unpacking complete, I flopped down onto the bed beside Rose. "He owns a large farm. He seems to think that it makes him lord of the town and we should worship at his feet. He and Cal would get on like a house on fire." Rose tensed a little. I cursed myself for bringing up Cal. "Rose, we're safe here" I took her hand in mine and squeezed it reassuringly. "He won't find us. Hardly anybody who doesn't have family or friends here even knows this place is on a map. There's no way he'll track us down."

"I know that," she said quietly, her body tensing noticeably. She turned deathly pale in the face and stared at the floor. She drew in short, shallow breaths, like she was trying not to faint. It looked to me like she was terrified.

I put my arms around her and drew her close to rest against me. "Rose, it's all right. You don't have to be scared anymore."

Rose lifted her head to look up at me, her face worried but smiling bravely.

"I know" she said, reaching up to kiss my cheek. "I have you"

Later that night, we went downstairs for dinner with Mrs. Ryan. We talked about various things as we ate generous helpings of shepherd's pie. I told her about my tales of my travels, and about meeting Rose, just saying we'd met on the Titanic, leaving out details. She stared at us in shock when we mentioned the Titanic.

"Oh, you poor things, going through something as dreadful as that," she said sympathetically. "I myself am going out of my mind with worry over the Titanic. My grandson Tommy is supposed to be coming over to America any time now. Oh, Lord help me if he was on that ship"

I nearly choked on my food at the mention of Tommy. The image of his rough Irish face appeared in my mind once more. He was Mrs Ryan's grandson! What were the chances of that? Fabrizio had told me about the fate of our brief but close friend, I dreaded the thought that I would have to be the one to tell her that her grandson was dead, but it would have to be done. It was only fair that she knew.

I practiced in my head and finally said, "Mrs. Ryan, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Tommy didn't survive. His name was on the list of the dead."

I said it as gently as I could, but there's no real easy way to break such news to someone. Her fork fell from her hand and tears welled up in her kind brown eyes. Rose put her arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"We're so sorry," she said gently. "I only met him briefly, but I could tell he was a good man. He didn't deserve to die."

"I can't believe it! He was so looking forward to coming to America. He'd never left Ireland before!" Mrs Ryan choked out between sobs. I leaned across the table to put my hand over hers.

"Mrs. Ryan, before he died, he was so brave that night. He confronted the stewards, convinced them to open the gates and let a few women through. His death wasn't meant to happen, but it... it was was quicker than most of the others' deaths" I said awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He-he was shot by an officer by mistake," I said.

"Oh, Lord" Mrs Ryan cried, making the sign of the cross over her chest. It was painful to see her so sad, when she was normally such a happy person. Rose and I stayed with her until she had calmed down. Rose insisted on clearing up after dinner for her, and escorted her to her room for a rest.

"That was nice of you to offer" I said, helping Rose to clear the table.

"I need all the practice I can get anyway" Rose shrugged, glaring at the pile of washing up awaiting her, gearing up for the challenge.

"I'll help" I offered.

"No, I can do this" said Rose determinedly. "You go and take Honey out for a while. She probably needs to go by now"

True enough. I went back upstairs to give Honey her dinner of meat scraps, and then clipped on her leash to take her outside for a walk.

It was getting dark by now, but it was still light enough to see everything clearly. In the emptiness of dusk, Honey was more confident in being outside, and happily sniffed her way along the lane, even tugging on the leash.

As I walked down the winding roads of the streets of Chippewa Falls, my mind wandered back along the lane of overflowing memories. Everywhere had a story to tell. It was less painful that I had imagined, being back. The nostalgia trip was almost enjoyable, in fact.

After so long of daydreaming as I walked, I'd hardly noticed that by sheer habit, I was wandering in one particular direction. Home.

The happy nostalgia drained away, and I found myself filled with a strange sense of dread, but also need. I knew it would be hard, revisiting the site of my old home, and the house in which my parents had died, but something inside me needed to go there. I needed to make peace.

I walked with Honey up the dirt road towards home. I wondered what it would look like. When I'd left, it had been a burnt down mess, black and filthy. The roof had collapsed and the whole thing had looked like a huge bonfire. I prayed it wouldn't look like that now.

As we got closer, I got a huge shock as we walked past the fields. I was barely paying attention to the animals that occupied them, and was surprised when I was jerked back by my hair. I turned around and saw a huge black head staring right at me, with huge, hypnotizing dark eyes. Eyes I would recognise anywhere. It was Thunder, my horse. He had recognized me instantly, even after so long. I had thought he had been sold off after I'd left and was amazed to see him still there. Amazed, and so happy to see him.

"Hello, old friend," I said quietly, looking into his warm eyes as I stroked his nose. "Didn't expect to see you again. Guess you didn't expect to see me, either. I can't believe you're still here..."

He gazed at me and gave a soft snort. I felt his familiar warm breath on my face. He seemed to understand every word I said. I'd hated leaving him behind when I left. I knew there was no way I could take him with me. A neighbour, Mr Clarkson, a farmer who lived close by on Prednidale Farm, assured me when I left that he would be well looked after. But something in me had always assumed that Thunder would have been sold on eventually. I was glad to see Thunder was in fact still close to home.

I swung myself over the fence between us, and into the field, lifting Honey over the fence after me. She sniffed Thunder's hoof and backed away with a startled jump and yap when he lowered his huge head to sniff her. I ran my hand down Thunder's smooth black neck and along his back. After so long apart from the horse I had loved since he was born that stormy night, the urge was too strong.

Using the fence as a step-up, and balancing Honey onto my shoulder for a moment, I swung my leg over Thunder's back, mounting smoothly. He didn't jump or seemed startled. He obviously remembered me and was comfortable with me. I quickly settled a now startled Honey in front of me, holding her steady between my legs. I wrapped her leash tightly around my wrist and pressed my heels into Thunder's sides.

It felt good to gallop on horseback again. I loved the rhythm of his swift movements. It felt so wonderful. Aside from the bow of a ship, galloping on horseback was surely the best way to fly. Honey seemed very startled and confused at this strange new experience, clutching my leg with her paws in a death grip. Nevertheless, she did a great job at hanging on.

"Oy! What're you doin' on my land? Get off that horse now!"

The angry voice startled me. I turned Thunder around to see an old farmer running towards us, brandishing a rifle. He looked furious. I smiled, instantly recognizing him as the same farmer who'd promised me my horse would be taken care of. I steered Thunder towards him at a walk and prepared to dismount. As the farmer got nearer, his facial expression turned from angry to surprised as he realized it was me.

"Jack!" he shouted delightedly. "Well now, it's about time you came back! I see you've found Thunder quick enough. I said he'd be looked after."

I dismounted, setting Honey back onto the ground. She seemed all too happy to be back on solid ground again.

Mr Clarkson greeted me with a friendly hug, commenting on how well I looked.

"So, what brings you back?" he asked.

"Long story," I replied with a shrug. "I'm here with my fiance, Rose"

"Well, now there's something I never thought I'd hear you say!" Mr Clarkson laughed. "You never seemed like the settling down type"

"Well, she's worth settling down for" I replied.

"Aye, it's true, we all never think it'll be us til we find the right lass. What was her name again?"

"Rose"

"No last name?"

I thought quickly. Giving away Rose's last name probably wasn't the best thing to do, and this was the one place she couldn't use Dawson. "Um…Rose Jacobs," I said quickly, saying the first name that came to me.

"Nice name, that. So, you planning to stay on here then?"

"We don't know yet. Depends what happens, really. Sorry. It's all kinda complicated."

"Well, if you do, your parents' place was rebuilt after you left."

I felt a little relief that at least when I went up there, I wouldn't see the burnt remains.

"No one lives on that land anymore?" I asked.

"Nah... Funny actually, most people agreed it should be rebuilt, yet when it came down to it, no one felt right about living up there, given how long the place had been with your family. And with what happened up there. You know how folk are 'round here. Anyway, the house is there if you want it"

"Thanks. I'll bear that in mind," I said. "I was actually heading up there now. Guess I'll see you around?"

"Aye, that you will. Come by any time you want to see that horse, just let me know first next time, before I stick a bullet in you by mistake!"

We shook hands and parted ways, Jim walking back across the field as I said good-bye to Thunder, climbed back over the fence with Honey, and carried on my walk.

After about ten minutes, I finally saw the house in the distance and the empty land surrounding it. The house itself was almost exactly the same as the original one. The same layout, the same light brown slate roof, the same open wooden porch. Around the side of the house was the chicken pen, which had also been replaced. The coop was unnaturally lacking chickens pecking at the ground. In fact, the whole thing was unnaturally quiet. There was no indication that this land had ever been occupied. Here it sat, built and prepared to be lived in, yet empty, almost begging to be filled. It was still, empty, and lifeless.

The stable had also been rebuilt, almost exactly the way it had been before the fire. The blaze had originated in the stable and the strong winds that day had blown the flames towards the house. My parents had died rescuing the horses from the fire, or so I'd been told later on. I myself had been out in the woods sketching. I'd lost count of how many times I'd lain awake at night wondering, if I hadn't been so far away that day, if I'd been there to help...

I turned away from the house and began walking back down the road. I had seen all there was to see - an empty, lifeless house with no signs of people whatsoever. Even the fields were empty. I realised that if we did decide to stay here in Chippewa Falls, we would almost certainly live here. It had been ready made, and according to Jim Clarkson, left empty in respect for the previous occupants. Me.

By the time Honey and I got back to the boarding house, the sun had set and the sky was a rich, dark navy blue, punctured by millions of bright stars. It was beautiful. It was one of the things I had missed about this place-dark, starlit skies. You just didn't get them in cities. There were too many buildings and too much smoke in the way to see the skies, which always seemed permanently smog grey. This was much more beautiful. The whole area made me realize that no matter what memories it held, Chippewa Falls was a perfect place for us to live, safe, happy, and maybe, one day, with a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear any potential horsey people who read this, I am prepared and ready to take your beatings for any inaccuracies I may write in regards to all things equestrian. I am not a rider myself, and have limited practical experience horses in general, mainly due to my being sadly allergic to them. As always, I'm open to suggestions and corrections :P
> 
> Once again, I'd like to repeat my request for help and corrections with anything American. My humble British mind would appreciate knowing if I'm fucking up your money or customs at all. I also offer apologies for any British English words and terms that slip out. I will try my best to have the charactes speak your lingo, but we don't speak American here in Blighty xD


	14. Chapter 14

Rose's POV

The next morning, following breakfast with a clearly sombre but determinedly cheerful Mrs Ryan, Jack, Honey, and I went for a walk around the town.  
It was a lovely place, with such a small, cosy country feel to it. The people all seemed so cheerful and friendly, so unlike the serious, determined nature of bustling city folk. They nodded and smiled at you even if you hadn't set eyes on them in your life. Honey, as ever, seemed a little nervous and leaned against my leg as we walked, but was obviously a little more at ease than she had been in New York. Near the town centre, there was a market, most of which seemed to be the same stalls fro yesterday. From every possible angle, there were market stall owners calling out into the crowds. Things like, "Eggs! Get 'em while they're fresh!" and "Homemade pies! Freshly baked at a bargain price!"

I couldn't get enough of it. It was a place like nothing I had ever seen before. There were no posh carriages or motor cars, no busy, congested roads, no posh, well-known department stores, no fancy restaurants where you paid a dollar for a small salad. I was relieved to see that there were no hoity-toity wealthy people prancing past in fancy suits and dresses, sticking their snotty noses up at the poorer people, as I'd always been so accustomed to. This seemed to be a place where everyone was equal and no one thought themselves above anyone else. That is, except for the dreadful Mr. Harker.

We walked past the grocery store to see the man himself leaning over the counter, snapping at the clerk, appearing to be complaining because his brand of food wasn't at the very front of the shelves. He was prattling on about how his food needed to sell out and be in demand as much as possible so he could gain enough money to purchase the large plot of land next to his. The nervous clerk had clearly heard all of this before. I rolled my eyes. Jack was right. Mr. Harker could have a good long chat with Cal.

Jack gave me the tour of the town, pointing out the different stores, and the more I saw, the more I liked it. Several times we were stopped as someone recognised Jack, who had to go through the same ritual of explaining why he had returned and introducing me. As nice as everyone was, it did become a little tedious. Around midday, Honey began to whine, and at one point, she lay down on the ground and refused to get up again. She was tired and hungry, and to be honest, so were we. We decided to head back to the boarding house for lunch.

Mrs. Ryan had been distraught at hearing about Tommy's death, but had soldiered on valiantly with her duties, preparing meals, cleaning, and such. I admired her for that. She may have lived in America for many years, but she'd kept to her tough old Irish roots. I didn't know what I'd do in her position. When we got back, she served us sandwiches from home-baked bread with farm-fresh butter, and a bowl of meat scraps for Honey.

"So, what do you want to do this afternoon?" Jack asked as we ate.

"I'm not sure," I replied, thinking. "Maybe we could take a walk further out? I'd love to see more of the nature of the area"

"Sure. In fact, I've got a good idea of where we could go."

"Where?"

"Wait and see. I know you're gonna love it, though."

I'd always dreaded surprises. They always made me so hyped up and excited. And in my previous experience, they rarely turned out to be something pleasant. I hurriedly finished my meal and helped Mrs. Ryan with the washing up-she'd tried to refuse my help, saying I was a guest in this house, but I was ever-determined to learn to do everyday chores.

Finally, after everything was finished, we set off for wherever we were going, Honey trotting at our heels.

We walked through the town, and soon, the buildings and houses became sparse. We walked down a long, winding stone pathway, lined with fields containing either crops or animals. Finally, Jack stopped at the gate to one of the paddocks. It contained a large black horse, peacefully grazing in the near distance. I wondered what was so special about this horse. We had passed many on the way here.

"Jack? Why are we here?" I asked.

He smiled. 

"Remember when I told you about Thunder, my horse?"

I looked at the horse again. So, this must be Thunder! Jack was right. He really was a gorgeous pure black.

"So, this is Thunder?" I asked, to confirm my suspicions.

"Yep. That's him. Come on. Let’s go see him." Jack swung his leg over the fence and landed on the other side, beckoning me to follow. I was a little apprehensive.  
"Er…are we allowed in there? Doesn't the paddock belong to someone?"

"Yeah, it' fine, don't worry. I know the guy who owns the land, I ran into him last night. He's been looking after Thunder since I left. Come on, I'll give you a hand."

After lifting Honey over to Jack, I carefully climbed over the fence, Jack giving me a hand down on the other side. We walked over to Thunder, who lifted his great head and gave a snort when he saw us. I was a little nervous around him at first. Not scared, as such, but just a little nervous at his obvious power and strength. He was so tall... Jack stroked the horse's nose and Thunder nuzzled him back. The he stepped towards me and sniffed my face with his soft nose. I liked the feeling of his warm breath on my skin. It felt so soft. I slowly raised a hand to stroke his nose and marvelled at the soft feeling of his skin. I ran my hand along his smooth, glossy back and felt his strong muscles. I wondered what it would be like to ride him.

"Do you want to ride?" Jack seemed to have read my mind.

I was taken aback. 

"Really? You mean... now?"

"Yep, now. You said you wanted to ride like a man. This'll be good practice for Santa Monica," he joked.

"Er…I don't know..."

"It's okay, he's perfectly safe. I helped train him myself. I rode him with Honey last night. Even she didn't have a heart attack."

I considered. If our nervous puppy felt safe on the back of a horse, why shouldn't I? I'd ridden a horse once or twice before, albeit appropriately side-saddle, and I was nowhere near able to control a horse myself.

"Okay" I said. "I'll try"

"Excellent" Jack grinned and kissed my forehead, making me flutter with happiness inside. "Come on, lets go see Jim" 

"Jim?" Jack took my hand and began to lead me across the field towards the farmyard at the other end of the field.

"He's the farmer who owns Thunder now" 

As we approached the farmyard, I could see a man in the distance, scrubbing out a metal trough. He raised his head as he saw us approach and waved as he recognised Jack. He looked cheerful by nature with a friendly face, roughly in his late fifties, his features worn and tired from years of farm work, yet evidently still soldiering on.

"Ah, I had a hunch I'd be seeing you again soon, Jack" he chuckled as as we said hello. "Knew you wouldn't stay away from that horse for long. And am I right in assuming this is your fiance?"

"Indeed you are, this is Rose" Jack introduced us. "Rose, this is Jim Clarkson. He's been farming round here since before I was even born" 

"Good day to you, Miss Rose" Jim took my hand and kissed it in a very gentlemanly way. "And a lovely lady she is too. You certainly know how to find 'em, Jack!"  
I couldn't help but giggle bashfully. He was such an old charmer.

I stood by idly as Jack went to fetch Thunder into the yard and Jim prepared the horse tack for us. All I could do was watch as the two of them prepared Thunder for riding. I'd spent many hours of my younger years watching Nathan deal with horses and tack, but I had never learned the ins and outs of any of it myself. 

Jim agreed to keep Honey with him while we rode; as much as she had put up with riding with Jack last night, there wouldn't be enough room for the three of us on one horse.

"Alright, he's ready" Jack finally announced as he led Thunder by the reins over to me. "Ready, Rose?" 

Nope, not really. Nerves overtook me as I stared at the magnificent beast in front of me. How on Earth was I supposed to get up there? He was so tall...  
"Here, like this" Jack demonstrated, putting one foot in the stirrup and pushing himself up onto the horse's back, and down again. 

I forced myself to push my nerves to one side. Allowing Jack to help support me, I disregarded every ladylike rule I'd ever been taught and eventually managed to swim my legs over the horse, straddling him one leg on each side, like a man. I beamed triumphantly as I settled into the saddle, as images of my mother's outraged face flashed before me. 

"See, Rose? You're riding like a man!" 

As Jack and I laughed, Jim shook his head slightly in baffled amusement. 

"Well now, I don't know any other ladies who would want to ride like that!"

"Well Jim, my Rose is certainly not like any other ladies" Jack replied as he mounted Thunder behind me. He took a moment to show me how to grip to reins with my hands, settling his own hands on top of mine. 

"Ready to go?" he asked softly in my ear. 

I nodded, feeling much more confident with him behind me. 

Jack showed me how to nudge my heels into Thunder's sides, and we set off at a slow walk. 

It was the most remarkable feeling, sitting atop such a mighty creature as we rode slowly out of the yard and back onto the lane along the fields. Each time I felt the slightest hint of nerves, all I had to do was focus on the feeling of Jack pressed against me, and I felt my fears melt away. 

"Now, to ask him to turn, all you do is gently pull the reins, like this..."

Tightening his hold on my hand, he guided me to pull the reins and steer Thunder around a bend in the path. He was such a wonderfully calm horse, never refusing to listen to the steer of the reins. 

"See? You can do this" Jack kissed my cheek, and I glowed with pride. I'd always been made to feel that it wasn't my place to be good at anything physical. I'd never been encouraged to do such a thing before. But I could do it! 

"Oh God, I can do it!" I laughed. "I can ride a horse!" 

We eventually made our way further out, surpassing the fenced fields, and out onto a wilder area of land. A wide open field, the grass untrimmed, not a gate in sight. As I steered our way out onto the grass (I was now proudly steering independently), I suddenly felt Jack's grip on the reins under my hands tighten.

"Now, Rose" he said, as I felt his legs tense behind me. "Would you like to fly again?" 

"What?" I barely had time to ask before Jack had nudged his heels into Thunder's sides and had urged him lurching forward into a canter.

"Jack!" I yelped in surprise, clinging onto the horse for dear life. "No!" 

"Its alright!" he assured me as he urged Thunder on faster. "I've got you, don't worry. Do you trust me?"

Of course I trusted him. I trusted him more than anyone in the world. His words eased my alarm, and a feeling of pure joy filled me as I sank into the rhythm of Thunder's galloping hooves. As we soared across the open land, I realised that I was indeed flying again. We both were, the two of us together. It was every bit as magical as last time. I had never felt so free. I didn't ever want to stop.

Of course, we had to eventually. Jack eventually steered us back in the direction of the pathway and slowly eased Thunder back into a walk. 

I breathed heavily, coming down from the euphoria of the ride. 

"Jack..." I sighed. "That was absolutely amazing"

I had a feeling you'd enjoy that" he replied with a smile, leaning in to kiss me.

I was disappointed when we arrived back at Jim's farmyard eventually. Our magical ride had come to an end. We dismounted, Jack taking my hand and supporting me as I jumped down, my legs shaking like jelly. Jack was halfway through un-tacking Thunder when Jim came outside to join us, the puppy in his arms wriggling frantically as she spotted us. Jim set her down on the ground and she came bounding up to us excitedly. In the short time we'd had her, I'd never seen her so enthusiastic. I guess she was getting quite attached to us, thankfully.

"You two looked like you enjoyed yourselves!" he remarked, taking in our happily tired states.

"Oh I think we did" Jack replied, looking at me. "Well, Rose? How do you like riding?"

"I love it!" I replied delightedly.

Jim chuckled. "Well, old Thunder's here whenever you want to take him out again" 

Bidding us goodbye, he led Thunder back out into his field as we set off back towards the path.

"So, Rose" Jack began, taking my hand as we walked. "What do you think of Chippewa Falls so far?"

"I already love it much more than I ever loved life in Philadelphia" I said, entirely truthfully. In the little time we'd been here, I had already fallen in love. I seemed to have a habit of falling in love hard and fast. "I can't ever go back to that life now"

"That's great to hear" Jack replied. "There's one more place I'd like to show you, before we go back"

He led us along the winding road, and up towards where a house sat surrounded by empty land. 

"Where are we, Jack?" I asked, although his progressive silence as we approached already gave me an inkling as to the answer. 

"This was where I lived, before, with my parents" he said, his tone obviously more subdued than before. 

The house itself looked very typical of the area; it could have been a farm house, although there clearly hadn't been much farming done here. I felt awkward about asking, but I was curious.

"I.. I thought that-?" 

"The townspeople rebuilt it" Jack answered my question before I finished. This was clearly a hard place for him to bring me, but evidently he felt that he had to, for whatever reason.

"They rebuilt it, but when it came down to it, no one ever brought themselves to live in it" Jack explained. "In such a small town I guess it felt too intrusive, since pretty much everyone knew my parents. Anyway it's pretty much been left empty since then. I'm basically the only one left who would consider living here"

I began to develop an idea of where this conversation was going, and why Jack had brought me here. 

"Jack" I said, squeezing his hand. "Are you suggesting that we live here?"

"Rose, I know that we only came to Chippewa Falls because it seemed like the only option. But being back here... I don't know, it feels like we could have a good life here. I'll admit, it's still a little surreal for me, but I really think this place could be good for us. We even have a house, literally waiting for us. But I won't force you to stay here if it's not what you want" 

"I turned to stand in front of him and reached up to kiss him, deeply and truly. 

As we finally broke apart, I smiled up at him. 

"Jack, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than here with you. You're right, this place is perfect for us. It's beautiful, it's homely, and we'd be pretty silly to turn down a house that was basically built for you to come back to. Chippewa Falls should be our home now"

Jack raised his hand to stroke my cheek, his eyes full of love. 

"I love you Rose" he whispered as we embraced again, the golden sun setting over the horizon behind us.


	15. Chapter 15

May 1st 1912

Rose's POV

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the bedroom window, and a streak of golden light shining down on my face, promising a warm day ahead. I opened my eyes and sighed in contentment at the world around me. It was May Day, the first day of spring. And it was a day of so many firsts.

Today was our first morning waking up in our new home. And it just also happened to be my eighteenth birthday.

Truth be told I hadn't been looking forward to this birthday. As such a significant birthday, it was always going to involve a hellish gala at home in Philadelphia, but this birthday party had also been arranged to double as mine and Cal's official engagement gala, where had had originally planned to give me the Heart of the Ocean (which now sat safely tucked away at the back of a bottom draw). The final nail in the coffin of my life. I had been positively dreading it.

I smiled at the thought of how wonderously different I was spending my first morning of my eighteenth year. Far away and out of reach of that awful man who had looked at me as something to be owned, cut off from all the wealth and luxury of my caged world, my past worries ended. Instead, here I was, waking up next to the man I could say I truly loved, and who loved me for me, on our first morning in our new home, with our adorable puppy asleep at the end of our bed. If it hadn't all happened to me, I never would have believed it from anyone else.

Our bedroom was sparsely furnished; we didn't yet have the spare money or the time to fill the house with much beyond what we really needed. And in reality, having known each other only a few weeks, our life together was still far too new and unexplored to have gathered enough memories; photographs, souvenirs, treasures that truly make a house a home. Still, there was plenty of time for all that to come.

Jack and I had been extraordinarily lucky when we had first set out to begin gathering furniture for our house, the very next day after we had agreed to stay in Chippewa Falls. News had travelled fast around the town that Jack and I were moving into the house, and so when we paid a visit to one of the town's few carpenters, we had no need to explain what we needed. In fact, the owner, Mr Wilson (who ran the business with his two sons who had followed him into his trade), insisted on knocking down the price of whatever we wanted until it was ridiculously below the item's value.

"Nope, you'll not convince me otherwise" Mr Wilson, a tall, willowly man in his 50s, had stated when we tried to argue. "I learned my trade alongside your father, Jack. A good man, he was, good man. And a fair rival, business-wise. I'd be betraying a friend if I didn't do his son a favour or two"

I was touched by his generosity. All my previous experience of shopping had simply consisted of either choosing things from a catalogue, or snapping your fingers at an item in a department store for the clerk to hurriedly prepare for you. Here in Chippewa Falls, where practically everybody knew each other, everything was so much friendlier and more personal. I loved it.

However, at the same time, our preparations to move into our first house together also made me feel somewhat inadequate. When we went to the general store to stock up on more every day items (cooking utensils, cleaning equipment and such), I'd felt hopelessly oblivious as to what we needed.

"I feel so useless" I sighed in despair at the display of cooking pots and pans in front of me. "I'm supposed to know all of this, but I barely know the first thing about running a house"

Jack put his arm around me and leaned close to kiss my head.

"It's alright" he said comfortingly. "This is a completely different life from what you had before, it's gonna take time to get used to. Of course you're not gonna know everything overnight. Don't worry, I'll help you"

I don't know what I'd have done without Jack's help. I was so grateful for him, someone with an entire world's worth of life experience compared to mine, to show me how to do even the most basic of tasks, which I practiced at the boarding house in the days before we moved into the house of our own. How to light the range, how to wash clothes, even how to make up a bed. I felt so stupid needed to be taught these things, but when one is brought up surrounded by maids to do everything for you, they're skills that you just never learn. Jack's constant patience and encouragement kept me going in those early days of our life together, and I was eternally thankful for him.

And now here I was, on the first full day in our new home, and the first day of another yearly chapter of my life.

I suddenly felt the pressure of tiny paws pressing against my legs. I looked down the bed to see Honey clambering her way up the bed towards me, tail wagging. I reached down and pulled her up close to me. She yapped at me and I could almost swear she smiled. It was as though she was wishing me a happy birthday. I cuddled her close and she licked my nose. This always made me giggle. She pawed the fabric for a moment, getting herself comfortable, and settled down in the space between Jack and I for a morning doze before breakfast. I lay there, watching her for a moment, trying to contain my excitement. When I could contain my excitement no longer, I leaned over and shook Jack awake.

"Jack! Wake up!" I said excitedly.

"All right. I'm up," he said when he was awake. He sat up and kissed me. "Happy eighteenth birthday."

I kissed him back. "It is now," I said, smiling.

Jack and I had decided to go out to the forest with Honey for a picnic that day. Jim Clarkson had agreed to let us take Thunder, and one of his other horses for the day. I was excited to ride again, particularly as I would be alone on a horse this time.

After breakfast, Jack, Honey, and I walked up to Jim's farm to get Thunder and the other horse. Jim greeted us at the gate to the barnyard with Thunder held by the reins with one hand. With the other hand, he held the reins of a beautiful grey mare speckled with white and a thick black mane and tail. Her name was Shadow and, according to Jim, she was calm and easy to manage.

"She won't give you any trouble. She's used to first-time riders," Jim assured me.

Using the technique Jack showed me, I successfully mounted Shadow's smooth grey back and slipped my feet into the stirrups. I felt much more comfortable than I had when I'd last ridden, and was eager to get going again.

We set off slowly down the path, giving me a slow start to get the hang of the rhythm of the horse again. After about twenty minutes of riding, we reached our destination, one of the most beautiful places I had seen since we arrived, a beautiful meadow full of lush green grass and yellow buttercups, free from any rooftops in the distance. It was completely isolated. We let the horses graze in the meadow freely and began to set up the food, including the birthday cake that I had proudly baked myself from a recipe Mrs Ryan had given me. Jack had protested at the thought of my making my own birthday cake, but I had insisted; I was determined to make something I could be proud of. Much to my joy, I had been successful.

"So, how's your birthday so far?" Jack asked me when we'd finished the food and were taking turns giving Honey some chicken scraps.

"Wonderful," I replied. "Better than my last, anyway."

"Why? What was that like?"

I shuddered. "Horrible. Simply horrible," I said. "It was the first time I met Cal"

Jack's face fell at the mention of his name. He looked as though he'd been put off his food.

"My mother had arranged it very carefully. Cal had made it clear he was looking for a wife, so she'd had me thrown in front of him at seventeen neatly in time for me to be married at eighteen. All nice and quick. God, he was arrogant even when we first met. And you know what he'd bought me? This huge, gaudy, moss green emerald necklace. It was dreadfully heavy, too, and it hung from a short gold chain, so the feel of it around my neck constantly irritated me"

"He's got a thing for jewels the size of rocks, huh?" Jack commented, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, I suppose he does" I replied.

I paused, picking up a handful of the blueberries we'd stopped on the way here to pick. I popped one into my mouth, letting it's sweetness roll over my tongue comfortingly.

"I don't know what to do with the diamond" I confessed. "I still don't like it at all, but... It's like after everything it's been through with me, it feels like it should stay with me. Something inside me is telling me not to sell it. I know it would buy us all the money we'd ever need, but I feel like that money would be poisonous. The whole diamond feels poisonous. All I can associate it with is hate, danger and greed. I feel as though it should be hidden away where no one else can ever be harmed by it"

"Then that's where it will stay. Hidden away" said Jack finally.

"Good"

A small silence hung between us, the distant song of the birds in the trees filling the air with the swaying rustle of the trees in the distance.

"Rose" said Jack, breaking the silence. "I have something for you"

He reached into the basket in which we'd brought the food, right at the bottom of which was a small package that I certainly hadn't packed. I smiled, realising that it must be my birthday present.

"Happy birthday" Jack said, handing the brown paper package to me. It wasn't very big, but felt odd. Delicate underneath but a firm lump on top. I unwrapped the paper to see a small box fall into my lap, but I couldn't focus on that yet, for underneath was a piece of paper that made me gasp.

It was a drawing, a very familiar drawing. It was a copy of the drawing that I had asked Jack to sketch of me on the Titanic, wearing only the Heart of the Ocean. I was shocked to see the image again. Jack had drawn me in the same pose, with the same sofa, everything. It was so startlingly similar to the original...

"I remember how much you liked the original drawing" Jack explained hesitantly, watching my expression closely. "You'd asked me to draw it for you specially, and I felt bad that you'd lost it when... you know. It took a couple of tries to get it right from memory, but I thought you might like to have the drawing back"

Tears began to form in my eyes. It was overwhelming.

"Oh Rose, I'm sorry. I thought you'd like it, I should've realised it would upset you"

I shook my head, wiping away my tears with a smile.

"No, Jack, I'm not upset" I laughed, setting the drawing down to throw my arms around him. "I'm just so... overwhelmed that you put so much thought into it, that you thought so hard about what I would want. I love it, it's a beautiful drawing. And the most thoughtful gift I've ever had"

Jack held me as I recovered myself, and I felt myself glowing with happiness. The warmth surrounding me wasn't just from the strength of the spring sun shining down on us.

Once my tears had dried, I finally turned my attention to the small box that had laid discarded on the picnic blanket. With shaking hands, I opened it to find inside a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant glinting in the sunlight. It was very simple in it's design, but it's simplicity was what made it so beautiful. It was perfect.

"Oh Jack, it's gorgeous!" I gasped as I fondled the heart in my fingertips.

"You're sure it's not too simple?" Jack asked. "I know it's nowhere near as fancy as the jewellery you've had before"

"Jack, it is absolutely perfect. It's the most beautiful necklace I've ever had" I declared firmly, scooping my loose red curls up into a pile for him to fasten the necklace around my neck. I tilted my head up to show off the necklace proudly.

Jack smiled at me and lifted a hand to stroke the side of my face.

"You're so beautiful..." he said, and I smiled as I felt his eyes gazing at me.

I leaned in close to him as I wrapped my arms around his waist, pushing us back to lay down on the lush green grass beneath us.

"Thank you for making my birthday so special" I whispered, before leaning in to kiss him, gently at first, but the passion between us slowly building. We were oblivious to everything around us, lost in each other's embrace, as we soared to the stars once again in that vast empty field under the warmth of the May Day sunshine.


	16. Chapter 16

May 5, 1912

New York

Nathan's POV

It was an morning just like that of any other day. I'd fed the four remaining pups, the rest of which had been taken to new homes not long after Honey, taken their mother, Lily, to the park for a morning walk, and come home to a quiet and empty house. Selina had taken Lucy to school and gone into town to do the shopping, and the pups were out in the yard playing as usual. On the way in, I'd picked up the mail and sat down on the sofa to read it, Lily curled up on the floor beside me. I flicked through the mail, separating it into two piles on the coffee table like I did every morning, one pile for Selina, the other for me. I found a letter addressed to me in handwriting I would recognize anywhere.

I opened Rose's letter and began to read.

Dear Nathan and Selina,

Everything is going well here in Chippewa Falls. Jack and I moved to Jack's parents' house a few days ago. The whole town is such a lovely place; everyone is so friendly and the place itself is very picturesque. It's so wonderfully unlike my old home in Philadelphia. Of course, you'll remember how much I always hated it there. You'll be pleased to know that I am now very satisfied!

Honey is doing well here, too, I'm sure Lucy will be glad to hear. She seems much more relaxed here in the country than she did in New York, but she's still not very confident at all. One thing she's getting used to, however, is riding on horseback! 

Which leads me onto my main news - I can ride a horse now! Jack has been a brilliant teacher, I'm not exactly perfect yet, but I'm doing pretty well. All those times you teased me about how I'd never get one leg on each side - you'd be proud of me now!

In other news, Jack and I have set a date for our wedding. We're hoping to have it on 24th July. I hope I've given you enough notice to arrange a trip up to Chippewa Falls for the occasion, I refuse to get married without my best friend being there! 

I hope you, Selina, and Lucy are all doing well, and we're both looking forward to seeing you soon.

Love always,

Rose x

I smiled happily when I finished reading the letter. I was happy that everything was working out for them. I was especially glad that they seemed to have lost track of Cal. Given that Rose hadn't mentioned him in her letter, I could only assume they hadn't heard from him. From what I saw of him, he didn't seem like a good person to get on the wrong side of at all. I just hoped that we had thrown him off the trail. I shuddered to think of what would happen if he found them. Luckily, it seemed that that was unlikely. For now at least, all seemed well.

That evening, I showed Lucy and Selina the letter, both of whom were pleased to see that they were okay. Lucy was happy to have news of Honey; in the days following their departure, she had pestered us non-stop with questions; she loved those pups, and saying goodbye to them had proved hard as they'd left, one by one for their new homes. 

"And no word from him?" asked Selina. I shook my head, knowing who she meant.

"Who's he?" asked Lucy.

"No one, dear, no one" I said vaguely. "Don't you have homework to do?" I continued, changing the subject quickly. She nodded her head sulkily.

"Go on then, scoot" I gave her a pat on the head and sent her off to get her maths done.

Half an hour later of frustrated calculations later, Lucy was upstairs, reading in her room, and Selina and I were downstairs talking, as we did most nights.

"So, they haven't heard anything from Cal at all?" she asked, handing me a cup of tea.

"No," I said assured her. "Not a peep. As for the police, no one has come forward saying they've seen Rose. It looked like Cal's trail has gone cold. He hasn't got any way of knowing where they are."

"Well, all the same, I still don't think this Cal is the sort of man who'll just give up like that. Remember, he's a powerful man. He could probably order a national search if he named a price high enough."

Only minutes later, at around 10:30, there was a sharp knock on the door. Setting down my tea on the coffee table, I went to answer the door and gasped. Staring back at me was a man in an obviously expensive but dishevelled suit, hair slicked with pomade. He had bloodshot eyes, with a strong smell of whiskey lingering around him like a dark cloud. 

I recognised him instantly. 

It was Cal. Cal, with a face like thunder. He didn't waste any time at all.

"Where is she?" he shouted right at me.

I stood my ground, unmoved by his outburst. "Will you be quiet?" I hissed back at him angrily. "Do you know what time it is? My daughter is asleep upstairs."

"I don't give a toss what your daughter is doing!" Cal spat back angrily, his voice almost a growl. "I know you know exactly where my fiance and that good-for-nothing scum are, and I demand you tell me right this minute!"

I admit he made me nervous. Anyone confronted by a man like that would be, but I knew hell would freeze over before I betrayed Jack and Rose's whereabouts to him.

"I haven't got a clue what you're talking about," I said firmly, attempting to close the door on him. "Now, please leave before I call the police."

Cal rammed his expensively-shod foot in the door and laughed haughtily.

"Fat lot of good that'll do. I'm paying the police quite a sum of money to track down and return to me what is mine, by any means possible."

He emphasised the last four words threateningly, drawing a pistol from his jacket pocket. I stepped back, eyeing the gun warily. Cal knew I was involved, no matter how much I denied it, and if I didn't give him an answer, he would shoot. He was clearly drunk enough to not be afraid to pull the trigger. 

I stood solid as a rock, forcing myself to mask my nerves. I would not tell Cal the truth. No way. I was about to confront him again, when suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

"Dad? What's going on? What's all the noise?" came the tired, half-asleep voice of Lucy from the bottom of the staircase. She was rubbing her eyes and had obviously not taken a proper look at the situation around her.

"Lucy, no! Go back upstairs!" I frantically called. 

But it was too late. She had looked up and seen the gun, and let out a startled scream.

Selina leaped up, grabbed our daughter, and hauled her to the furthest corner of the room. She held our daughter tightly, shielding her tiny frame with her own body. I was scared now, scared for my wife and daughter. Protective anger began to boil inside me at the sight of my family frightened in front of an intruder. 

Cal's face widened into a manic Cheshire-cat grin as he lifted his arm to point his gun right at the two of them. He didn't have to say a word. The look on his face said it all. Spill the beans or I shoot.

That was it. My decision was made. No arguments about it. I would never put my wife and innocent daughter's lives at risk.

"All right!" I shouted at Cal. "I'll tell you where they are!"

"Nathan, no, don't!" Selina shouted from across the room, but I forced myself to ignored her.

Cal grinned wider, if that was possible. "Finally, we understand each other. Now, where are they?" he demanded, his voice husky with manic urgency.

I took a deep breath. "They said something about going to California. To Santa Monica, the beach town. That's where they are. They're in Santa Monica."

Cal looked pleased and shakily pocketed the gun, and I breathed a sigh of relief as he did so. He began to stagger back down the walkway backwards, pointing a swaying arm at me.

"I'm glad we have finally come to an understanding. Thank you for your cooperation!" 

And he walked off down the street, swaying slightly, laughing in a way I assume was meant to sound victorious, but to me it just sounded like a dying wolf, howling in pain.

I slammed the door quickly and bolted it shut. I turned around to see Selina had sunk to her knees and was holding Lucy so close to her body that I could barely see her. What I could see were my daughter's shaking hands, clinging to her mother's dress for comfort like a frightened toddler.

Minutes later, I had guided them both onto the sofa and pulled Lucy up into my lap. I rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. I hated seeing my usually so confident daughter so scared. It made me want to tear Cal apart. I cursed myself for not slaying him where he stood the second he'd pulled that gun on my family.

The evil bastard, threatening a woman and an innocent little girl like that.

"Shh. It's okay. Everything's all right. You're safe now," I soothed, stroking her soft brown hair.

She leaned into my chest, still breathing heavily. "Who was he?" she murmured into my chest, her voice shaking. "Why did he have a gun?"

"It's okay, sweetie. He's gone now. Nothing's going to hurt you. I promise."

"That horrible, evil man!" Selina spat furiously, pure hatred gleaming in her usually calm and gentle eyes, mixed with tears of fear. I pulled my wife into a hug, too, and held them both tight, determined never to let them be put at risk ever again.

"It's okay. He won't bother us again. I know he won't. We told him what he wanted. He can't ask for anymore."

"Good thinking, Nathan, sending him across the country. He's going to get a shock when he finds out Jack and Rose aren't there."

"Yes. Well, I'd never tell him where they really are. Never. That inhuman monster can turn up with an arrest warrant and an army. I still won't let him get anywhere near them"

"Well, as long as he stays away from both us and them, I'm happy"

We took Lucy to sleep in our bed that night, as we had on her very first night at home with us, when she was scared and couldn't sleep. I lay awake for a while, thinking. Yes, we had sent Cal as far away as possible, but that didn't stop me from worrying. He had control of the police through bribery, and it was more than likely that he wouldn't give up his search when he reached a dead end on the other side of the country.

I just hoped, for Jack and Rose's sake, that he didn't discover their true whereabouts.


	17. Chapter 17

May 12th 1912

Jack's POV

Today was a very important day. A day I'd been looking forward to since we'd moved into the house, which hadn't quite felt complete to me since I'd been here, because of one detail that would be rectified today. Today I would finally bring Thunder home.

The delay in bringing my horse back to where he belonged hadn't been by choice; it had been simply a lack of means. Although the land we now owned was lush with grass for now, we just didn't have enough spare money to keep the stable stocked with straw and hay for winter, nor for any other expenses that horses naturally come with. As much as I loved and missed him, I wasn't going to take him away from the security of Jim Clarkson's farm when I couldn't support him.

Thankfully, I hadn't had to wait long.

On the morning of the previous day, like many days before, I had waited eagerly for the sight of the postman, who so far hadn't had a need to visit us. With most of the people we knew being so close by, we hadn't yet had any letters sent to us. However, I was now expecting (well, hoping for), one very important letter.

Not long after we'd arrived in Chippewa Falls, I had begun sending letters to various local newspapers and magazines with a small collection of sketches, applying for work. Although sketching newspaper illustrations wasn't my favourite type of art, it was the one that was most likely to get me hired. With Rose to support, I knew I couldn't go on scraping by with 10 cents-a-piece portraits. We needed proper money.

Letters sent, I waited anxiously for a reply. Any reply. I'd been told my work was good, but I never really believed I was any better than any other artist. In all likelihood, the only reply I'd receive could be to tell me that I wasn't good enough, though I badly hoped that wouldn't be the case. Not that there wasn't plenty of other work I could do, but I figured it was worth a shot trying to get a job I'd actually enjoy first.

Now, too many days later, eating breakfast whilst staring out of the kitchen window at the path coming up from the village had become my routine. I was so engrossed in my watch that I wasn't paying attention to the hyperactive jumping puppy who launched herself from a kitchen chair in pursuit of my plate of toast, which she managed to knock to the ground.

"I'm not cleaning that up" said Rose with raised eyebrows from across the room as I swore in surprise.

Honey, oblivious to her wrong-doing, happily snaffled up my lost breakfast.

"Thanks for the help" I replied sarcastically, snatching the plate away from her as she licked up the few remaining crumbs.

"You should have been paying attention"

Suddenly, I caught sight of a small figure making his way up the path from the village. A small figure with a satchel slung over his bag. Will, the postman's boy, out on his delivery.

"Isn't it a good thing I wasn't?" I replied, grinning as I shot out the front door and down the path.

Will looked rather confused as I approached him.

"You know I'm paid to come to you, right? Not the other way round?"

"Well I promise I'll let you earn your money's worth tomorrow, but today's pretty important" I said breathlessly as Will retrieved an envelope from his satchel and handed it to me. Scarcely able to wait, I ripped open the envelope there on the path, my hands shaking with anticipation.

My eyes raced over the printed words, happiness swelling inside me as I did so. I turned and ran back to the house as fast as I could.

"I got it!" I shouted as I burst through the door, startling Rose as I ran over to her, picked her up and twirled her around excitedly.

"I actually got it! They actually liked my work!"

"Jack, put me down!" Rose screeched through her laughter.

When I finally set her back down, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.

"Of course they liked it" she said, smiling up at me proudly. "You're brilliant"

Our lips locked once more in a celebratory kiss, whilst, unaware to both of us, a sneaky little puppy seized her chance to clamber up onto the table and polish off the last of our breakfast.

The paper that had offered me a position was The Chippewa Herald, the main paper of the area. Specifically they'd offered me a position sketching the illustrations of the paper; as luck would have it, they were down an artist as of recently. The hours were reasonable, the pay was fair, and I couldn't wait to get started the next Monday.

The very first thing I did that day after breakfast was to go down to Jim Clarkson's farm and arrange to bring Thunder home as soon as possible.

"Ah that's excellent news!" said Jim when I told him about my new job. "Nice to see all that time you spent scrawling away rather than learning your father's trade was worth it"

Jim's humour could be rather stark, but he spoke the truth. In a town where trades ran in the family and sons followed their father's work, it had been well-noted by the village gossipers that I had no interest in learning the carpentry work that my father had so enjoyed. I'd been lucky in that my father had accepted that it wasn't the work I wanted to do, but others didn't always have that support.

"Speaking of family business, how are your sons?" I replied, matching Jim's blunt humour. The tough old farmer could take a personal joke and brush it off with a laugh; he almost encouraged it sometimes, usually after one cider too many.

He chuckled slightly and shook his head at the mention of his sons.

"Ah, I get a letter once in a while from Michael, not a visit in two years, mind you. Still, I suppose a doctor don't get much time off down in Arizona. And not a peep out of Edward since the day he packed up and hit the road, good riddance"

The story of how the Clarkson brothers had rejected the life of working the land with their father was a well-told one in Chippewa Falls. The oldest, Michael, had left down on reasonably good terms with his father, having won a scholarship to study medicine; the first of his kind in this small country village. Although disappointed that his eldest son wasn't going to inherit the farm, his father had been proud of him. But the younger brother, Edward, had stormed out of town in a blaze of family feuding, after a vicious, ad almost physical, row with his father, or so the gossip went. Without the respectable scholarship of his brother, Edward had had to simply tell his father he didn't want to farm the land for the rest of his life. His father, insulted, had sent him packing that night. Rumour had it that he was now in New York. Doing what, we didn't know, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be farming. Since then, poor Jim had tended his farm alone, lovingly, and stoically.

Jim Clarkson wasn't one to show emotion very often, but he did look rather sad as he handed over the reigns of my horse.

"I'll not deny I'll be sad to see him go. He's a fine horse. Still, he's only going home"

"Indeed he is" I replied, stroking a hand down Thunder's soft black nose happily. "Thank you for taking care of him for me. I owe you one"

"Aye, I'll remember that" the farmer winked at me as we departed.

I breathed a sigh of contentment as I finally led Thunder up to the stable at the back of the house. Finally, the place felt complete.

"It sure is good to have you home, old friend" I said quietly to him, resting an arm on his neck.

His warm breath blew over my face as he nudged me with his nose. I could have sworn he understood.

When I eventually made my way back to the house, I was greeted by the sight of Rose curled up on the sofa, her knees to her chest, almost trembling with shock.

"Rose? What's wrong?"

I joined her on the sofa and put my arm around her comfortingly. Whatever it was, she was obviously pretty upset by it. In one hand I saw her clutching a letter.

"The postman's boy came while you were gone" she said, her voice scarcely more than a whisper. "It's from Nathan"

Nathan? What on Earth could Nathan have written to upset her so badly?

"What is it? What's happened?" I asked gently, pulling her to lean against me.

"It's Cal" she choked out in one breath, her voice cracking. "He found them! He showed up at the house, threatened them with a gun!"

"That son of a bitch!" I hissed, fury burning inside me.

"He wanted them to tell him where we are" Rose continued, tears openly flowing from her glistening eyes. "Nathan told him we were in California. I know he wouldn't have told Cal anything at all if it weren't for..."

Her voice tailed off, taken over by her tears.

"He's a maniac!" I had to fight not to shout my words. I was so angry, but I knew that shouting would only upset Rose more. "Only a raving lunatic could point a gun at an innocent little girl!"

"It's all my fault" Rose cried, bending forward to hide her face in her knees.

"No, Rose, no" I said firmly, wrapping my arms tight around her shaking frame. "It's not your fault"

"If I hadn't gone to Nathan for help in the first place... I should have kept him out of it, I knew how dangerous that bastard is"

"Rose, you couldn't have known this would happen" I murmured into her soft red curls. "But it's alright. He didn't fire the gun. They're not hurt, they're all fine. And Nathan was pretty smart to send him to the other side of the country. We're safe, Rose. I'll never let him get to you, I promise"

I tried to comfort her as best I could, but in my mind I couldn't help but think that if Cal had managed to track down Nathan and Selina, would he be able to find out that we were in Chippewa Falls? What if he went back to New York and threatened Nathan and Selina again when he reached a dead end in California? It seemed we hadn't heard the last of Caledon Hockley.


	18. Chapter 18

May 25th 1912

Rose's POV

I sighed miserably as I stared into the distance of the kitchen. Today, just like every other day, I'd cleaned up the breakfast things once Jack had left for work, and had flopped back down at the kitchen table, chin in hand, at a loss for anything worth doing. Sure, I could give the house a once-over, but with only the two of us there was very little mess to tidy. There was of course the constant dusting of little golden hair that Honey left behind her wherever she went, but the thought of wasting away the hours on nothing but cleaning up dog hair was so frustratingly dull that I just couldn't bring myself to get up and do it.

I was just so bored. Although I was happy that Jack had gotten the job he wanted and was enjoying it, part of me also bitterly jealous that he had somewhere to go every day, and something useful to do. Whilst I stayed at home and endured the same old dull tasks, practically counting down the hours until Jack came home again; the highlight of my day.

"Why don't you spend more time in the village?" Jack had suggested one day after I admitted my unhappiness to him. "You go down most days for shopping, why not hang around for a while?"

If only it were so easy. In truth I didn't truly feel comfortable in the village on my own yet. Although the people were always friendly, I just didn't feel confident without Jack with me - a cursed side-affect of my far-too-sheltered existence. How exactly do you just "hang around for a while"? Loiter in the grocery store? Stand in the village square and just wait to be spoken to? I had nowhere near enough confidence to strike up a friendly conversation from nowhere with someone I barely knew.

"I just don't feel quite... at home here, yet" I sighed to Jack as he put him arm around my shoulders. I snuggled close into his side, something that always made me feel safe in sad times. "I just don't feel a part of the village. And the people..."

"Why? Has someone been rude to you or something?"

"No, no one's said anything. It's just... the way they look at me. They smile and they're all so polite, but I can see it in their faces. They know I'm not one of them. I'm too different"

It's true what they say. Old habits die hard. Having been brought up with strict rules on etiquette and posture, I was all too aware of the high-and-mighty way I naturally carried myself, and my voice always seemed to sound far too prim and proper, as it always did when I felt awkward around unfamiliar people. I could scarcely imagine myself laughing and joking in a manner as carefree as the village girls I'd seen.

"Rose, this is an entirely new life for you" Jack reassured me one evening as he fondled one of my curls with his hand that rested on my shoulder. "It's only natural that it all feels a bit weird for you. And if they knew where you'd come from they'd understand that. It just takes time. It'll get better soon, you'll see"

So I waited to see. The days went by, and I kept on waiting. But alas, I felt no different.

And so my dreary routine continued. Of course, I did get the chance to escape the house to take Honey out for her daily walks, which we both enjoyed. It always cheered me up to be out in the fields and woods, although it took me a while to dare to venture any further than I'd been with Jack, for fear of getting lost. But as nice as those walks were, they just weren't what I needed. I could feel my mind screaming at me for exercise. My brain was aching for something to do, for some proper stimulation. To waste away my hours on nothing but cleaning and my continued attempts at cooking (which were thankfully improving) felt so dreadfully unfulfilling.

My real wish was to have a job. I wanted to work. I wanted to share the burden of providing for ourselves; I hated that Jack was the only one bringing home money to live on, and I craved my own income to be proud of knowing that I'd earned myself. I knew I could work hard, if I had a skill and purpose that would make the effort worthwhile. But alas, in the world of work I was probably the least employable person going. No experience, no references, and no real life experience. As much as I wanted to, the world of work seemed a long way off for me.

"Well, how about trying the library?" Jack suggested one day.

"There's a library here?" I asked, my brow furrowing in curiosity. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Well, it's not really here in the village, strictly speaking" he explained. "It's just outside the next village, Havendale, about a mile or so away. I completely forgot about it to be honest. It's not exactly a big library but it's worth a shot"

Oh it most certainly was.

For as long as I could remember, I'd loved books. From the history books my father had so lovingly talked me through, to the novels I devoured in spite of my mother's complaints about them being a waste of time. I'd been dismayed to find that Chippewa Falls didn't have any book shops, so this discovery of a library, all be it a bit of a walk away, was good news indeed. The very next morning, after breakfast, I set off in search of it.

And oh, how it was worth the search. The walk along the gravel country road to Havendale was tiring, but thankfully not complicated. The last thing I needed was to get lost in the middle of a place I still hardly knew. After almost an hour of walking, just as I was beginning to tire, Havendale came into view, a place perhaps a little bigger than Chippewa Falls.

It didn't take long to find the place I was looking for; a modest yet not tiny building. As soon as I walked in, the glorious smell of old books washed over me. I'd always loved the smell of paper and leather. It reminded me of my father's study. The library was so quiet that my steps echoed through the room as I walked, though the few people browsing the shelves or sitting at the tables in the centre of the large hall didn't look up. No one acknowledged me, not even the old woman behind a desk piled high with books and papers whom I assumed was the librarian. Excitement boiling silently inside me, I picked a shelf in the fiction section and dived into the sea of stories...

That library was a God send to me. Several days a week I braved the walk to Havendale to find new books to bring home or return ones that had been quickly devoured.

"You should really slow down with those books" said Jack one evening after a long silence while my nose was buried deep inside my latest read, Honey snuggled into my lap sleepily.

"Huh?" I looked up from the page. It wasn't even the hundredth time that I'd been so engrossed in the story that I hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"It's so rare I get a conversation out of you these days that I'm starting to miss the sound of your voice" he replied, shaking his head at me with a smile.

"Sorry" I lowered my book, feeling guilty.

"It's alright, I'm joking" Jack gave me a quick kiss on the head as walked past to get Honey's leash, the sound of which quickly roused her from her sleep. She jumped down from my lap and leaped around the floor excitedly at the prospect of her evening walk, tail thrashing from side to side madly.

"I'm glad you found something you enjoy so much" said Jack as he struggled to attach the leash to the wriggling puppy. "It's great to see you so interested in something"

Indeed, the library had been my main source of enjoyment for several weeks now.

As well as taking home endless amount of novels to read, I'd also begun spending several afternoons at the library studying the large volumes of history books, which sadly weren't available to take home. I'd become so engrossed in studying the wealth of knowledge available that often hours would go past without me realising. Since the day my father died I had sadly spent very little time continuing the studies he had done with me. History wasn't considered a ladylike-enough subject for my mother nor my finishing school to allow me to pursue. But now, finally free of all those restraints, I drank up the knowledge like a thirst for water.

It was during one of my many afternoons spent poring over textbooks at the library that I realised someone was watching me. I glanced up to see a woman from across the table looking at me. She quickly looked away as I looked up. To my surprise, I recognised her. Well, sort of. Like myself, she seemed to be at the library rather a lot. We had never spoken but her presence was so regular that I recognised her as soon as I saw her.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely, curious as to why she was looking at me.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry" she replied with a shy smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking that I've seen you here a lot recently"

"Likewise" I said, returning her smile.

She looked to be perhaps a few years older than myself. Her bronze-coloured hair was scraped back in a neat style that matured her. Her pale skin was complimented by her steel-grey eyes, and framed by the small glasses I'd noticed she only wore whilst enthralled in a book.

"Yes, I suppose I do spend rather a lot of time here" she laughed a little,. "I'm one of the school teachers in Chippewa Falls. I suppose I'm just drawn to learning in general. I believe you live there as well? I'm sure I've seen you around the village a bit"

"Yes, I do" I replied, setting aside the textbook I had been reading. "I've only lived there a few weeks though. Still settling in, I suppose"

"Ah I see" the woman replied, having set aside her own book and removed her glasses. "Well, welcome. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here, it's quite a friendly place. What brings you so far out into the country, if I may ask?"

"I moved here with my fiance, Jack"

"Jack Dawson? Oh yes, I'd heard he was back with a fiance. How nice to meet you. And congratulations, of course. Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself, how silly of me. I'm Sarah. Sarah Anderson. Mrs"

"I'm Rose" We reached across the table to awkwardly shake hands. "Mrs Anderson, did you say?"

I cleverly tried to draw attention away from the fact that I hadn't given my own last name. Even though I was sure Sarah Anderson was the last person who would know anything about my being the runaway fiance of Caledon Hockley, I wasn't taking any chances.

"Yes, I've been married just over a year now" Sarah smiled, raising her left hand slightly to display her gold-encircled ring finger.

"And you're still teaching?" I couldn't help but ask. I'd never come across a married teacher.

"Yes, it's unusual, I know. But the village school is very small, and there aren't really enough folk who disapprove enough to force my out. We're such a close-knit town that too many people have known me my whole life to want to force me out of the job they know I love. My husband, Peter, he's a doctor, so he was keen for me to keep going with my job. We're both big advocates of learning"

For the next hour or so, our books lay discarded on the table as we continued our hushed conversation. It was so lovely to be able to have such a friendly chat with someone new, and Sarah was such a likeable person.

"So I see you've been working your way through the history books?" Sarah gestured to the textbook on the English monarchic restoration I'd been reading.

"Yes, I guess you could say I have a bit of a passion for it"

"How lovely. Any particular subject?"

"A bit of everything to be honest, but I tend to favour European history. British and French mainly"

It quickly became clear from the warning glances from the librarian that our conversation was becoming too involved for the quiet restraints of the library, so we decided to continue our talk on the way back to Chippewa Falls together.

"I wish I saw more women taking such an interest in studies" Sarah sighed as we walked along the lane back to Chippewa Falls. "It's so infuriating that in so many places girls just aren't taught enough academic subjects. I always try to encourage my girls, but sadly I just don't have much time to fit it in alongside the home craft subjects the headmaster demands I focus on with them. Really, I can't understand why so many men think a girl needs no real learning other than basic writing and numeracy. I've taken to reading aloud to them during sewing but there just aren't enough hours in the day"

"Oh I've always loved to study history. It's a passion my father passed on to me. I was an only child, so I guess I was a pretty good compensation for not having any sons to teach"

"Your father sounds like a generous man. So few would bother to teach their daughters such things"

"He was" I replied, smiling a little sadly at the memory of him.

A short silence followed, before Sarah asked me something that I could never have seen coming.

"You know, Rose, it really is truly lovely to have met a woman who seems to share my love of learning" she began, as though building up slowly to a point. "Can I ask, do you have any occupation at the moment?"

"Sadly not" I replied. "I wish I could get a job, though. I'd love to work if I could, but I just don't have any proper skills worth using"

"Oh I think you do"

"Really?"

Sarah paused on the roadside to look at me straight.

"Look, I won't beat around the bush. I've told you how eager I am for my girls to learn some proper knowledge, but I just don't have the time by myself. How would you feel about joining me at the school one or twice a week, to help teach some proper history to the girls? I'm sure I can arrange a couple of sessions a week in the afternoon. The headmaster will surely agree once I show him what an excellent teacher I've found"

I was stunned into silence. Was this woman I'd just met seriously offering me a job as a teacher?

"Sarah, really, I don't think I'm qualified!" I replied in disbelief.

"Oh but really, I think you are! Every day I go to the library I see you there stuck into a textbook. You seem to know what you're talking about. Anyway of course you'll have plenty of time to prepare proper notes and plan on what to say, I don't expect you to just make it up on the spot. Oh please say you'll at least give it a try, I'm desperate for some help!"

The kind smile on her face told me that there wasn't an ounce of a lie in what she said. She truly wanted me to help her. I found myself nodding in reply with an excited smile.

"Okay, I'll give it a try"

"Oh, thank you so much!" She hugged me tight, surprising me with her forwardness. "I'm so looking forward to getting started"

Oh, so was I.

I was giddy with excitement for the rest of the day. Wracked with nerves at the thought of beginning my first real job in the world, but oh so eager to get started. I was so happy to have finally found some sort of purpose. Maybe at last my place in life was finally beginning to form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was quite keen to delve into the social aspects of the time with this story, and it really is annoying that at the time so many subjects were denied to girls because of their sex. I was keen to outline this a little in the story, and also I feel like Rose is the sort of woman who would have been eager to work towards a chance in the way girls were educated. Plus from a writer's point of view it gives me some more character development to work with. Anyway, as usual, thoughts and suggestions are welcome :) x


	19. Chapter 19

June 16th 1912

Jack's POV

I squinted slightly as the warm sunlight shone down on my paper, the speckled shadows of the leaves above sway across the charcoal lines, desperately trying to put me off and make a mistake. But I never would. Like any other artist, of course I made mistakes in my work. But never when I was drawing Rose. She was far too perfect for even paper and pencil to find a flaw. I couldn't help but smile as I sketched in the perfect crease of the corner of her eye as she fought against the summer sun to read the words on the page of her book, the narrowing of her eyebrows as her mind took in something particularly interesting. Once in a while Rose's eyes would dart up from the page to glance beside her to check on our sleeping puppy beside her, her ever-increasingly-gangly legs stretched out lazily in front of her, her golden chest rising and falling peacefully. Once in a while she would glance at me from behind her book, across the grass where we sat under the apple tree at the end of the meadow behind our house, and a slight hint of a smile would cross her face as she realised I was drawing her yet again.

"Really, Jack, I asked you to draw me once and now you never stop. Is there really nothing else worth drawing?" she had sighed at me with a self-conscious smile many weeks ago as I drew her whilst she brushed her hair one morning.

Not in my eyes. I'd always found interesting things to draw in the past, even things that most wouldn't consider worth sketching. But since I'd found Rose, nothing else in the world compared to how much I wanted to draw her. I wanted sketch book after sketch book full of her; every single detail of her being immortalised in image forever. I'd have been happy to never draw anything else ever again, as long as I could draw her.

The rustling of the leaves in the light summer breeze and the occasional chirp of passing birds were the only sounds disturbing the blissful silence of the meadow around us. Neither of us wanted to disturb the peace. Partially to preserve the perfection of the moment, but also because Rose was once again spending her afternoon researching for lesson plans. I'd suggested she take her research outside after growing concerned at seeing her spending so much time bow-backed over the kitchen table, missing out on the wonderful weather outside. Since reluctantly taking up my suggestion, she'd actually grown rather fond of spending her study time outside in the peace of the meadow, and I was only too happy to join her whenever I could.

It was so wonderful to see the change in Rose that her new job had brought her. The misery of boredom that had previously hung around her was well and truly gone. She threw herself into her new work, spending hours bent over books, writing notes for each lesson. She clearly loved having a proper task to put her mind to, and I was so happy to see her finally being able to work in the way that she'd longed to be able to for so long.

She'd shaken with nerves on the morning of her first day at the school, worrying that she wouldn't have put together an interesting or informative enough lesson, or that the students wouldn't want to listen to her. She wouldn't be reassured, no matter how many hugs and words of encouragement I gave her. I admit I had worried about her that day as I left her that day to go to work. And so I was relieved as well as proud when I came home that evening to find her brimming with excitement to tell me how much she'd enjoyed her first day. The students had listened to her lessons eagerly, and she'd soon lost herself in the stories she was telling; tales of long-ago occurrences that had been sculpted into fairy tales by time.

"It's funny, I was so nervous when I walked in, but it felt like as soon as I started talking it just sort of... melted away" she said as we sat curled up on the sofa together.

"That shows you're passionate about what you're doing" I replied, running a hand through her lush red curls, freshly unpinned from the smart pile she'd fixed it up in for work. "When the task is something you truly care about, all your nerves just disappear, and love takes over. Or so I've learned from experience"

"And when was this experience?" she asked, smiling up at me playfully.

"The first time I drew you"

I barely had a moment to admire the adoring smile that crossed her face before she'd leaped up from my embrace to capture my lips with her own, pushing me back flat on the sofa, her beautiful body warm on top of me...

***

"Rose, hurry up, we're gonna be late!"

I called up the stairs as I checked the time on the new pocket watch I'd bought myself a few days ago. As an artist without the need for proper smart work clothes like the men I was surrounded by on the way to work (frequently checking the time urgently on their own watches), I thought it would make me look and feel more professional. It wasn't working much so far.

I had made an effort today, however. It was Sunday, and the Andersons (Dr. and Mrs, whom Rose worked with at the school) had invited us over for dinner. I vaguely remembered Sarah Anderson from years ago, back when she was Sarah Hills, but her husband Peter was a newcomer to the town. Rose had been looking forward to today, and to finally building some proper friendships in the village, but now, I absent-mindedly watched Honey gnaw happily on the rawhide I'd given her to amuse herself while we were gone, wondering if we should be going out at all.

Rose hadn't been well for most of the day. It had started early this morning, when I'd been woken up by the sound of her struggling out of our sleeping embrace to run to the bathroom, followed by the sound of her violently throwing up everything inside her. When she finally crawled back under the covers, I held her shaking body tight until she fell back asleep, and left her to rest in bed for most of the morning. When she did finally surface around noon, she was paler than I'd seen her since the Carpathia, and had only managed to nibble a couple of slices of bread all day.

"Jack, please, I'm better now, honest" she insisted when I suggested we stay home. Her pale complexion stood out strikingly against her deep burgundy dress, her tired eyes masked with face powder, her smile more desperate than cheerful.

I sighed knowingly. I could tell that she still wasn't feeling a hundred percent, but she'd been so looking forward to the visit that I didn't have the heart to force her to miss it.

"Besides. If I feel funny again, surely the house of a doctor is the best place to be!" she joked, wrapping her arm around my own for support as we began the walk down to the village.

Peter Anderson was the sort of man you could just tell was a doctor of something or other by looking at him. Everything about him, from the way he carried himself to the way his dark-brown eyebrow arched knowingly as the dark eyes below them x-rayed the situation while he listened, suggested that he was in possession of a fountain of wisdom that he delighted in demonstrating to the rest of the world.

Nevertheless, he was a friendly man, welcoming us warmly to their home. He certainly seemed to have found a worthy partner in Sarah. She herself also possessed a similar knowledgeable look. She'd always been a lover of learning, even when we were kids, and it wasn't surprising that she'd gone on to become a teacher. What was surprising, however, was that she'd kept her job once married.

"Well I've always thought it slightly ludicrous myself, the idea that married woman can't teach any better than when they weren't" said Peter as we discussed the topic over a dinner of roast chicken and vegetables. "And of course if I'd insisted on Sarah giving up her job I'd have been left with one very unhappy wife, which is surely a recipe for ill-health in any man"

"Says the man who could patch himself up again, free of charge" his wife retorted with a grin, earning a laugh from everyone at the table.

Well, almost. I glanced at Rose, who sat beside me, almost silent. She'd been less talkative than usual almost since we'd arrived, but in the hour or so we'd spent chatting before sitting down to eat, she'd become almost silent. Now she sat with her fork held tightly in her hand, only occasionally raising it to nibble on a vegetable or to. Her chicken sat uneaten on the plate, most of it barely even attempted. I could tell straight away she wasn't feeling right. I just hoped the Andersons wouldn't mistake it for rudeness.

Of course I'd forgotten the fact that we were in the presence of a man of medicine. By the time that everyone except Rose had almost cleared our plates, Dr. Anderson was well and truly on duty, clearing his throat a little to gain her attention.

"Rose, excuse me, but can I ask, are you feeling alright?" he asked gently. Rose swallowed and paused for a moment, clearly debating whether or not to answer truthfully.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not, actually" she finally replied quietly with a weak, awkward smile. "I'm sorry, Sarah, I really don't think I can manage any more"

Sarah shook her head dismissively, her concern-furrowed brow matching her husband's; a matching pair.

"Would you perhaps like to step through to my office for a moment?" Peter offered, gesturing to a door across the hallway with a brass nameplate fixed on the front.

Rose nodded silently, slowly getting to her feet and following his lead out of the room.

"No need look so nervous, I won't charge you" Peter joked with a warm smile. "Call it mates' rates, as they say in England"

Rose's weak attempt at a chuckle was a tiny shred of reassurance as I watched her retreat into the consulting room with the doctor.

I helped Sarah clear away what remained of the dinner, eager to take my mind off of the worry as the time ticked by since Rose and Peter had left us.

"It is nice to see a man willing to help out" Sarah laughed as I stacked clean plates back into the cupboard for her.

"I don't really see why we should be expected not to in the first place" I replied, trying not to let my worried thinking interrupt the conversation.

"Quite right" Sarah agreed "Just one of many ridiculous rules in life"

"Like the one about teachers being unmarried?"

"Exactly" she laughed, as though forcing humour into the topic would make it any more wrong. "And the one about women not being smart enough to vote"

Now there was a whole other kettle of fish to get stuck into, which we probably would have, had the door to the consulting room not opened at long last, and a very shaken-looking Rose walked out, escorted by Dr. Anderson.

"Rose"

I immediately set down the plates to go to her side, taking in her pale face, etched with a mixture of nerves and unease.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"No need to panic, Jack, she's absolutely fine" Peter answered for her, his smile full of that confident knowledge he wore so well. "Although I do think you'll find you both have a lot to talk about"

"Why? What is it?" I was growing impatient with worry now. Why did he have to know what was the matter with my future wife before me?

"Jack"

Finally, Rose's weak voice choked out, trembling with nerves. She looked up at me with eyes full of uncertainty. She clearly wasn't sure what my reaction would be to whatever it was she had to say.

"I'm pregnant"


	20. Chapter 20

June 18th 1912

Rose's POV

My day began the same exactly as it had every other morning since I'd discovered I was pregnant - hunched over and shaking on the bathroom floor, having just been violently awoken by morning sickness. It was as though as soon as I was aware of my condition, the floodgates had opened. I was a wreck.

Slowly but surely, I recovered myself and made my way downstairs, where, as always, Jack would encourage me to try and eat something, though I could usually only manage a nibble of toast. The familiar feeling of a nuzzling nose pressed itself against my leg, and I scooped Honey up into my lap for a hug, and couldn't help but smile as she began trying to reach up to lick my face. Some things in life just never fail to make you feel better. Puppy licks are definitely one of those things.

"Why does having a baby have to feel so awful?" I sighed as I forced myself to take a sip of tea, one arm struggling to keep Honey's eager nose away from the cup.

"Maybe you should stay home today" Jack suggested as he packed his sketchbooks for work. He said the same thing every morning, and every morning I brushed aside his concern.

"No, I'll be fine soon. They don't call it morning sickness for nothing"

A white lie. A slight uneasiness would often hang over me for most of the day, it was more the fact that I was enjoying my work at the school far too much to want to give it up just yet. I knew I would have to eventually, but I was determined to keep going for as long as I could, though Sarah had made it clear to me that I was free to stop or take a day off whenever I needed.

We were lucky to have such supportive friends in Peter and Sarah at this time. They were the only ones who knew about the pregnancy. Being unmarried, there were bound to be more judgemental people who wouldn't be as happy for us as they had been. Not that either of us particularly cared when anyone else thought, but we decided it would be easier to keep it secret until after the wedding. Anyway, we would be married soon enough, hopefully before I began to show too much.

The evening the doctor had told me I was pregnant had been a tense one. Jack and I had endured Peter and Sarah's happy congratulations before heading home early, since I wasn't feeling well, and also since we were both too stunned to be much good company. We began the walk home in silence, avoiding each other's gaze. I began to shiver, probably from my uneasy stomach combined with nerves.

Never once failing to notice something was wrong, Jack put his arm around me and gently pulled me to lean against him as we walked, instantly making me feel just a little bit better.

"You alright?" he asked.

I nodded silently.

"No you're not"

Jack was right, as always. I wasn't okay. Not at all. Suddenly I found that I couldn't even attempt to hold back the tears beginning to flow. We stopped in the middle of the lane and I broke down, Jack's grasp holding me against him the only thing stopping me from collapsing completely.

"Rose, what is it?" Jack asked gently as I cried into his chest, one hand stroking the back of my hair.

I couldn't even decide exactly what it was. Was it the shock? Was it the doubt? Was it the fear? Or was I just being a hormonal idiot?

"I don't know" I murmured hopelessly. "Just... everything"

Jack lifted my face to look up at him.

"Let's just focus on getting home first, and then we can talk about this properly, okay?"

I nodded with a sniff and he leaned forward to kiss my forehead before hugging me tight, giving me the strength to finish the walk home.

Home at last, we settled close together on the sofa, and finally, slowly, began to talk.

"How long?" Jack asked quietly, his arm returning to it's favourite position around my shoulders.

"Just over two months" I replied, staring into my lap. "Close to exact, actually, he thinks"

"Oh God" said Jack in realisation. "But that means..."

"Yes" I confirmed. "The Titanic"

"Shit..."

A moment of silence followed, the only sound coming from Honey who was still determinedly working her way through the rawhide we'd given her for while we were out.

"It just keeps coming back" I choked out. "Every time I think I've forgotten about that damned ship it comes back again. I overhear someone mentioning it or there's something in the paper about that pathetic inquiry. I dream about it"

"I know" said Jack softly, pulling me a little closer to him. "I do too"

This was news to me. I'd suspected that he may have figured out the reason why I would sometimes crawl up closer to him for a tighter hug at night, but I had no idea that he shared my disturbed sleep.

"You never said"

"I didn't want to bring up the ship to you" he replied. "Anyway, most of the time I already had the hug from you I needed when I woke up"

"And now this" I sighed, leaning my head against his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"It probably sounds stupid, but... I'm scared. This baby was conceived on that ship, on that night. I'm scared that every time I look at my child all I'll remember is the Titanic"

"Rose, that's not going to happen" Jack's voice was gentle but firm. "That would never happen. Whenever you look at our child all you're going to think of is how much you love them. You won't even think the name of that ship"

"Our child..." I repeated. It sounded so strange. We had barely known each other two months and here we were, not even married yet, and facing the prospect of parenthood. "I still can't entirely believe it"

"I know, it'll take some getting used to"

"Jack..." I looked up at him uncertainly. "You do want this child, don't you?"

He looked at me, confused, hurt, almost.

"Of course I do" he replied, as though the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why would you ever think that I wouldn't?"

"I don't know..." I immediately felt bad for even asking. "It's just that it happened so quick. I thought we'd have more time together first, to just be together, to be free..."

"Rose, I know it's happened faster than we'd wanted, but it doesn't change anything. We're always going to be together, for as long as we live, and then whatever comes after. And having this baby won't make us any less free. We're still going to see things, and go places, and have an amazing life together. It's just that there might be someone extra along with us for the journey. And to be honest I think that's just great"

I smiled. As always, Jack never failed to make me smile when I felt awful.

"We're going to be just fine, I promise" he said firmly. "We're going to be happy"

To seal the deal, he kissed me, firm and lovingly, making happiness warm through me once again.

Some things in life just never fail to make you feel better. Jack Dawson is definitely one of those things.

I smiled as I sat at the table, remembering Jack's words of encouragement that evening. Everything would be fine. With that thought keeping me going, I forced myself to finish my slice of toast and tea, and then went to get ready for another day of work.

Later that afternoon, my class for the day finished, I decided to take a detour home to visit the grocery store for a few things.

"Afternoon, Rose," came the cheery voice of Elizabeth Carter, the shopkeeper's wife, as the tinkling bell announced my arrival into the store.

"Hello, Elizabeth," I replied with a smile. Since making friends with Sarah and starting my job at the school, I had slowly begun to get acquainted with more of the people in the village. Sarah had introduced me to Elizabeth as her "budding new history professor", and after we got chatting I discovered that her seven year old son Daniel was one of the pupils at the school. I practically glowed with pride when she once told me how much he'd enjoyed my talk about medieval knights.

A few minutes later, I was browsing through the canned food shelves, absentmindedly humming quietly to myself, when I must have not been looking properly and bumped into someone when turning a corner. The cans I was carrying were knocked out of my hands as we collided. I bent down to pick them up.

"Sorry," I apologised, not looking up at the person. "Didn't see you there."

I expected the person to say, "That's all right" vaguely and move on, or maybe even help me gather my things, but instead, they snapped rudely, "You silly girl, mind where you're going in the future!"

I looked up at the person. Of course, such a rude tone could only belong to Mr. Harker, the snappy old businessman who so rarely graced us with his presence in the village centre. He was looking down at me like I was below him, scum in his presence.

"Well, excuse me, but I believe it was a case of us both not having looked where we were going, so perhaps you'd care to take heed of your own advice before lecturing others," I said, as I stood up straight, head up high, emphasising my upper class voice to match his rude, pompous tone.

He gave me a glare and started to move on. Suddenly, he stopped. He whipped his head around at me, his eyes narrowed in concentration as though he were studying every detail of me. His eyes wandered particularly towards my curly red hair. I narrowed my eyes at him, and was about to question him, before he gave a suspicious "Hmm" and walked away, appearing deep in thought. Odd, I thought. He usually can't wait to take his eyes off us common folk. Why had he lingered on me so strangely?

I paid for my groceries, and began the walk home again, thinking about the suspicious encounter. Unless he had had an episode of deja vu, Mr. Harker seemed to find something odd about me. Or familiar, I suddenly thought to myself with a jolt. I felt my heart skip a beat in panic and began walking faster, pushing the very thought out of my mind, refusing to think it might be true.

I busied myself with putting away the groceries when I got home, desperately trying to keep myself busy and away from my bad habit of overthinking. Finally, at a loss for anything else to do, I flopped down at the kitchen table, my head in my hands, wracking my brains for a reasonable excuse to prove my theory wrong. I thought the whole thing through thoroughly before I jumped to conclusions.

I suddenly remembered the posters Cal had had displayed in New York, asking for information about my whereabouts. I thought that maybe he had begun advertising wider, maybe even nationwide. And if so, the first people he would contact would be his cronies. Cal was a man with many allies, spread right across the country. He was the sort of person who believed that you could control the world if you knew the right people. And Mr. Harker was definitely the sort of person Cal would consider someone worth knowing, even if his little countryside empire was a fraction of the size and importance of his own. A well-off businessman with a large farm and factory and a large chunk of money, exactly the sort of person who would be good to have in his circle of friends.

So, say that Cal had good connections with Mr. Harker, and had written to his cronies asking them to be on the lookout for an eighteen-year-old girl with curly red hair and a shady background. I remembered how Mr. Harker had suddenly stopped and studied me, particularly my red hair, which had always been my most noticeable feature. I prayed to God that I was wrong, but I had a horrible feeling that Mr. Harker knew who I was, and that he would inform the man who had made the last year and a half of my life hell, the man who I knew would hunt me down to the ends of the earth.


	21. Chapter 21

June 18th, 1912

Mr. Harker's POV

From the day she first arrived, I'd wondered about that girl. I knew from the start that there was something odd about her, about the way she spoke, the way she held herself. She was naturally so well-refined. She seemed to be of a higher class than these country people. I had wondered, but hadn't said anything. Why would I?

The few times I'd encountered her, it was so painfully obvious that she didn't fit in.I'd thought of telling her to go back to where she came from. She didn't belong here with these people. She belonged with the rich and the famous. Not here. I prided myself on considering myself to be the highest class person in Chippewa Falls, and this Rose was getting in my way.

On June eleventh, I found a letter in my mail sealed inside a sophisticated envelope, with a Pittsburgh postmark. When I opened it, I found it to be on personal stationery, typed, not written, and the contents of the letter were most interesting. It was from a friend of mine. Well, I say friend. More of a business acquaintance. When one wants to make it big in the world, one has to be picky about one's friends. And the person who this letter was from was a definite must know-the steel tycoon Caledon Hockley, heir to one of the biggest steel companies in America. I knew him vaguely; we had been introduced by a mutual friend and had worked on one or two deals, but we rarely kept in touch. To have a letter from him now made it all the more interesting.

In the letter, he spoke of his fiancée, who had gone missing after the sinking of the Titanic. He was most anxious to find her again, as he feared her emotional trauma would get the better of her and she would do something dangerous. He asked that any information of her whereabouts be reported back to him as soon as possible. I noted with slight annoyance that it's words were impersonal; it had clearly been mass-produced for many others besides myself. I also noted that a big reward was being offered for the girl's safe return. He described her appearance- green eyes, average build, and long, red, curly hair. Her name was Rose. She matched very well with that girl that Jack Dawson had brought back home with him, but I somehow couldn't quite believe this nonsense. But then after that rude little speech she'd given in that uppity voice of hers, somehow it all suddenly clicked into sense. I made my way home as quick as possible to dig out the letter from Caledon Hockley again. I looked over the details of Rose DeWitt Bukater and matched them to the details of the Rose that attempted so badly to fit into this small town. She was a perfect match in all ways, including her name. What was her surname again? Drat, she had never actually said. But then why would she, when she was hiding from someone? Of course, it all made perfect sense! I had found Hockley's missing fiancee!

I hurried upstairs to my study and wrote a letter to Hockley, explaining that the girl had been living here for several months, and how to get to Chippewa Falls. Letter sealed and stamped, I set off to the post office immediately to get it into the evening post. Excitement of having found the girl and the reward for her that Hockley would surely hand over aside, I did find the whole situation rather amusing. It was laughable that she could ever have convinced people here that she was just an ordinary girl like the rest of them, and now the truth was plain to see, I couldn't believe I'd ever doubted my suspicions in the first place. I wondered what Dawson had been up to on his travels to have stolen such a prize from a sinking ship. A curious tale, I'm sure. Anyway, I'd knew the girl didn't belong here right from the start, and now I was sending her back to where she belonged.


	22. Chapter 22

June 21, 1912

Santa Monica, California

Cal's POV

The last two months had been the most frustrating of my life. The world around me that I knew and controlled had crumbled away, and all that was left was this. Traipsing across the length of the country in search of a fiancee I couldn't control. How had all my plans gone so disastrously wrong?

Back at the start of April, I had it all. I was rich, powerful, and on the cusp of a strategic marriage that had the added benefit of a beautiful woman involved. Nothing, it seemed, could go wrong. But oh how it did.

I wished now that I had never bought the tickets back to America on that blasted ship. How could I have let this happen? My fiance stolen, right from under my nose, by a worthless gutter rat. When I'd failed find either of them on the Carpathia, I was comforted by the fact that they were dead at the bottom of the Atlantic, as they deserved. I sought relief, as I often did, in a whiskey bottle; a coping mechanism that usually worked, but no matter how much I poured into myself, I felt just as angry as before.

I couldn't believe my luck when I discovered that Dawson has survived. Of course surviving was exactly the sort of irritating thing he would do. But if he was here, alive in New York, no doubt that meant Rose was too. I merely laughed at the lie he tried to spin me about her having gone done with the ship.

My faith restored, I set about constructing my plan. Dizzily, what with the whiskey, but firmly, I went straight to the police station that night and had posters printed in the hundreds. Then I had them distributed all over the city by morning. You'd be surprised how fast a task can be done when a person with the right name and the right cheque book commands it. My next step was to telephone Pittsburgh to have my secretary prepare a letter to be sent out to my many business contacts across the country for them all to keep an eye out for her.

It was only a matter of time before Rose was back with me, safe and sound, and everything would be back to normal. All I had to do was sit back and wait (and endure that odious mother of hers) for a little while longer.

But once word began to spread about what had happened aboard the ship, things began to change. People began to talk. Lord only knows how, but people had seemed to form out their own ideas as to why I was now missing the fiancee I had so once so proudly displayed. I was stared at by the most respected members of high society. They smiled and said hello as normal, but I could see it in their eyes. They had heard the tales that had somehow managed to smuggle their way off of a dying ship. They no longer saw me as a rich, respected steel tycoon, but as the man who's fiancee had run off with someone beneath her. I walked with my head held high, but inside I was burning.

Days went by, and still no news from anyone about where Rose could be. After finding the posters to be of little use, I tried phase two. After an unbelievable amount of investigating and interrogating, I managed to track down one of Rose's friends, who lived in New York. Nathan Calvert. It took a little persuasion, but I eventually got him to tell me where Rose was. He told me they were heading for California, to Santa Monica.

I made my way to the seaside town as fast as I could, bringing with me a hired private investigator and the new valet I had hired. He was good, I admit, but not a patch on Lovejoy, who had died carrying out my orders. I was restless the whole journey. I felt certain I had finally caught them at last.

But again, another dead end. I searched the whole town, top to bottom. I asked at all the boarding houses, every hotel, even beginning to interrogate the locals and tourists. After eventually resigning myself to another dead end, I was getting frustrated. It was like an endless game of cat and mouse. I was preparing to make my way back to New York to investigate further from square one, when I received a letter from a not-so-close friend who lived in a remote area of Wisconsin called Chippewa Falls. Odd fellow, from what I remembered; shady sort of man who owned a reasonably-sized business up in his region, and a painfully obvious social climber. The letter brought joy to me, and a sense of victory. It seemed that I finally had them cornered. And with that glorious, glorious news, I began to plan my trip to Wisconsin.

I had to plan it out carefully. After the last couple of failures, I didn't want this one to be messed up, too. I decided to take my time planning the ambush, as Rose seemed to be staying put for now, from what Harker had told me. I decided I would make it as quick and as easy as possible. All I needed to do was make my move as a discreet time, and with any luck the sight of my gun would be enough to convince Rose to come back home with me and become my wife, as she should already be by now.

I couldn't wait to have Rose back in my life and have everything return to the way it should be. My life at the moment was filled with nothing but frustration and annoyance. I was constantly shadowed by Ruth DeWitt Bukater. That woman was the most annoying woman I had ever met, and yet I had to put up with her because she might stop the marriage if I offended her. I had to put up with her mindless chatter about who was doing what, and she was forever carrying on with planning the wedding, as if Rose was upstairs right at that moment. It was becoming unbearable. Of course, I had to drag the woman along with me when I went to Santa Monica.

The day I showed her the letter from Chippewa Falls, we were sitting in the small lounge of the hotel suite we were renting in Santa Monica, and after reading the letter, she nearly exploded with delight. She was ever so pleased to hear of her daughter's whereabouts.

"Well, we must leave at once!" she cried, and turned to leave to set the servants to packing.

"Ruth, we can't leave yet. We must plan our strategy," I insisted.

She looked at me with surprise. "Mr. Hockley, you talk as though we are launching an attack," she said, giving a small laugh at the absurdity of it.

Oh, if you only knew, I thought to myself. "Of course not, Ruth. I am merely saying that we do not want to startle Rose after the unfortunate incidents aboard the Titanic. I'm sure she must be rather fragile in mind right now, to have gone off hiding in the middle of nowhere"

Ruth nodded in agreement. "Yes. I see your point. A wise move. Who knows what state she'll be in, having to live amongst the common people when she is used to far better?"

"I quite agree. I plan to travel to this Chippewa Falls in a couple of days. I trust you will accompany me?"

As much as I disliked the woman, having her mother there may just guilt Rose enough to see reason.

"Why, of course. This is, after all, my daughter we are talking about. And despite her mistakes, I am determined to be there to see her back on the straight and narrow."

I nodded in agreement and lit a cigar. Taking a puff on it, I began to relax just a little for the first time in weeks. At last, the end of this ridiculous little chase was in sight. All would be well.


	23. Chapter 23

June 28th 1912

Rose's POV

I was angry. I didn't have a good reason why. I didn't need a good reason why. I couldn't even explain why. I was just angry. In the days since I had discovered I was pregnant, it was as though suddenly becoming aware of my condition had triggered every symptom under the sun. I was still being rudely awoken every morning by a wave of nausea, which was a miserable way to start any day. I'd insisted on soldiering through it, though, and so even when all I wanted to do was curl up back in bed and feel sorry for myself, I gathered my books and notes, and went to the school to do what I did best.

I was so happy whilst I was teaching. I could allow myself to get lost in the stories I was telling the children, fuelled by their enthralled faces and eyes eager for more. I was probably at my happiest during my lessons. But eventually the lessons ended, and I had to go home.

Some days it was so easy to forget the blessed life I was living. I lived in a lovely house with a wonderful man who would soon be my husband, and would soon be sharing this life with the product of our love for each other. But so warped were my hormone-fuelled emotions that I so often couldn't see that. All I could see was a house that needed cleaning, food that needed cooking, and a dog that would do her very best to throw every hurdle at me in my tasks.

At nearly six months old, Honey was no long a little bundle of puppy fur. She was a sleek, gangly, half-grown dog with nothing but energy and enthusiasm. And all that energy had to go tore through the house excitedly, no matter how long I let her run through the meadows surrounding the house, slipping and sliding into anything in her way. Her tail was a fearsome weapon, capable of clearing a coffee table in one swipe. I dreaded coming home in the afternoons to discover what she had broken or destroyed, either by accident or through boredom. Several days ago I had discovered a third library book that she had relieved her teething pains on, despite having been given more appropriate toys to chew on. After having been welcomed home by the discovery of her latest crime, I would often be unable to think of any other reaction than to just cry.

By the time Jack arrived home from work, I would have pulled myself together, toughened up and got on with the tasks at hand, the daily cleaning rituals and preparing dinner. Often I would pour myself into my jobs with such determination that I was far too easily provoked. The slightest little thing could trigger such annoyance that I would snap easily.

And today was certainly one of those days.

"Oh, for God's sake, Honey!" I snapped as she skidded in from the open back door, muddy paws leaving marks all over the floor I had cleaned just a couple of hours ago.

It was just after dinner, and Jack and I were in the process of clearing up the kitchen when Honey had chosen her moment to shatter the delicate peace in the house.

Fuming with annoyance, I grabbed the nearby broom and began to shoo her back outside, her tail still wagging happily as though it were a game. As I shouted at her, however, she began to sense that all was not well, and her joy turned to hurt confusion as she attempted to dodge my swipes.

"Get out!" I shouted as I sent her scampering back out through the door with her tail between her legs. I raised my arms to aim a proper swipe at her when two strong arms firmly grabbed hold of me and snatched my makeshift weapon away.

"Hey, hey, calm down!" Jack's words did little to quell my frustration. "That's enough. Come on, what's wrong?"

His voice was nothing but concerned and worried, but I felt nothing but annoyance at his apparently lack of understanding.

"What's wrong?!" I snapped. "What's wrong is I'm sick to death of that dog! I'm sick of spending all afternoon doing nothing except cleaning up all the mess she creates!"

I emphasised the words "that dog" with anger and loathing that deep down I knew I didn't truly feel. It was the hormones talking, which Jack knew.

"You know you don't mean that" he said gently as he raised a hand to stroke my face, which I found myself shaking away angrily.

"Don't tell me what I do and don't mean!" I snapped at him. "I'm sick of it! I dread coming home from the school and finding out what she's decided to destroy next. All I do is slave away in this house all day, and it's not like I get any help!"

"Rose, I'm at work all day, and it's not like I don't help you when I am here" Jack protested, and quite rightly.

My working hours were only half of his own, and when he was home he never sat around refusing to help like most men would. But I couldn't see that. All I could see was my own anger.

"Come on, go and sit down, I'll clean up in here" said Jack, but I wasn't having any of it.

"I don't want to" I snapped. "Just leave me alone, I'll do it myself"

"I'm trying to help, here"

I could hear the frustration growing in his voice.

"Well I don't want any help!" I shouted in hopeless desperation. "God I can't even think right now, just go away"

Even as they words were halfway out of my throat, I regretted them.

But it was too late, the damage was done.

Jack turned away from me and left the kitchen with a sigh.

I watched, somehow stunned into silence as he took his coat from the hook by the door and shrugged it on.

"Fine, if that's what you want" he said, his voice chillingly calm, his face worryingly blank.

He left without another word, slamming the door behind him.

I stood there, alone with nothing but my own regret for having told him to leave me alone. But I was too stubborn to admit I was wrong. I didn't run after him. I told myself I would hold my ground and stay strong.

And then I looked around me at the empty kitchen, the dinner plates still not washed and muddy paw prints from the dog who thought nothing but love for me and I had repaid by chasing from the house with a broom, and I came crashing down to the ground. I slid down against the wall to curl up on the floor, my knees to my chest, my head in my arms. I cursed myself for being so ridiculously childish. I hated myself for the mood swings that I couldn't seem to control. All I wanted was Jack to come back, to put his arms around me and tell me everything would be fine, the way he always did when I could only see the worst in the world around me.

I suddenly heard a click in the lock of the front door, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Jack had returned. I got to my feet, trying to compose my words of apology in my head. I took a deep breath.

"Jack, I-"

My words caught in my throat as my eyes set upon the figure who stepped through the door.

It wasn't Jack.

It was Cal.


	24. Chapter 24

June 28th 1912

Rose's POV

I stared in horror at the face that had haunted my fears since April. The face of the man who had made my life miserable for so long. The face I had hoped I would never see again.

The last two months had clearly not been kind to Caledon Hockley. He looked disturbingly similar to how he had the last time I saw him, scouring the decks of the Carpathia for me; suit crumpled, hair greasy and unkempt, and an impatient, angry look in his eyes. Eyes that bore into me now as I stood there, frozen solid with fear.

"Hello, sweetpea" said Cal, his voice sickly sweet, his lips parting into a Cheshire Cat grin. "How nice to finally see you again"

"H-how did you-"

My shuddering words were silenced as he raised a clothes pin triumphantly.

"I always knew learning how to pick locks would come in handy"

That grin. So sarcastically happy, like a cat that had cornered it's prey.

"Now, Rose. I think we can all agree this has gone on for far too long. You've had your bit of fun with that useless low-life of a man, but now it's time to come back home with me, where you belong"

I swallowed, wincing at the painful lump in my throat.

"No" I said firmly, desperate to sound braver than I felt. "I'm not going anywhere. This is where I belong. With Jack"

Cal snorted out a laugh, as though I had just cracked a brilliant joke.

"Really, Rose, you don't expect me to believe that. You don't honestly think you're better off here, making a fool of yourself, pretending to be some simple nobody. You belong with me, and you know it. And don't try and scare me with that gutter rat's name, I know perfectly well he's not here for you to hide behind, I watched him skulk off into the night myself. Didn't look too happy. Had a little row, did you?"

His words unnerved me, and he could clearly see it.

"I thought so" he chuckled triumphantly. "Not all fun and games anymore, is it, Rose? Come along now, just come quietly with me and we can put all this behind us"

He took a confident stride forwards, his arm outstretched to grab hold of me, but I dodged out of the way.

"I said no!" I said loud and clear. I don't know if it was bravery or stupidity that made me raise my voice to him, but whichever it was, he clearly didn't like it. His false smile melted away into a frown. Cal was clearly done with trying to sweet-talk me over. Anger flared in his cold brown eyes, the same anger that had flared that morning on the Titanic when he had trashed the breakfast table to frighten me into submission. This time, I would not be so easily cowed.

"Rose, you are coming back to Philadelphia with me tonight whether you like it or not. Now we can make this easy..."

His hand sunk into his suit pocket to withdraw a small pistol. I felt my heart skip a beat he raised the cold metal to stare me right in the face.

"...or we can make this difficult. Your choice"

As I stared down the black hole that was the barrel of the gun, I felt a sudden burst of fire within me. At that moment, I decided that if I was going to die, I would not go down sobbing and frightened, begging Cal for mercy. I would go down tall and proud, comforted by the knowledge that he had not broken me.

My eyes turned from the gun to the narrowed eyes of my former fiance, to stare him right in the face as I threw the ultimate insult at him.

"Two months ago, I spat at you in the face by way of ending our engagement. I fought my way down into the depths of a sinking ship to rescue the man I loved, and then I rode that ship right down into the Atlantic ocean at the very end of it's life. I made my peace with death in those icy waters and it doesn't frighten me now. You can't frighten me anymore, Cal. It's over"

"It is not over!" Cal spat angrily, his face turning red, his hand shaking as he fought to steady the pistol.

"Oh it is"

I triumphantly raised my left hand, proudly displaying the ring around my finger.

"I am not your property anymore. I am engaged to that gutter rat you hate so much, and to top it all off, I'm pregnant with his child!"

My words ended on a half-laugh. I was so deliriously afraid and high on adrenaline that I couldn't help but laugh in the face of the monster of my nightmares. I was completely crazed with fear.

"There's nothing left for you to claim, Cal! You've lost!"

Cal's grin slackened into a stupefied look of shock.

"You're even married, you whore!"

I breathed deep, anticipating the gunshot that would surely follow, and was completely thrown off when instead, Cal lunged forward to swipe his hand fast and clean across my face, searing my cheek with the stinging pain of a slap harder than he'd even unleashed on me before.

I cried out as I lurched sideways, complete shock overtaking me. I barely had time to raise my own hand to my burning cheek before the devil was upon me again, grasping me hard by the shoulders, his nails digging hard into my skin.

"I told you before, I will not be made a fool of..." he seethed through gritted teeth, his balled fist being the last thing I saw before I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of the pain to come...

And suddenly, a scream of pain filled my ears. But the confusing thing was that the scream wasn't mine. It was Cal's.

I opened my eyes in time to see him stagger backwards away from me, thrashing and flaying around the kitchen. Gripped tightly onto his back, clawing and biting mercilessly at his skin, was Honey; snarling and growling as she tore into him in a way that I would never have dreamed she was even capable of.

I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I stood backed against the wall. Through his grunts and roars of pain, Cal eventually managed to throw my dog off of his back by lunging himself into the kitchen table. She landed with a thud onto the floor, and as she scrambled up again to launch a second attack, a single gunshot rang through the house, and my fearlessly brave dog collapsed onto the wood, a steady trickle of red garishly contrasting against the golden fur of her abdomen.

I let out a yell of pure anguish, a noise such as I'd never made before. I immediately collapsed to her side, my trembling hands cradling her beautiful head in my lap.

"You monster!" I cried through my tears. "You evil son of a bitch!"

Cal was trembling. With pain or rage, I don't know. Maybe it was both. Either way, he never failed to remove the triumphant smirk from his face as he leaned against the kitchen worktop, taking several minutes to recover from his attack before turning his attention back to me.

"Now then" he breathed through his now obvious discomfort. Honey had managed to tear her way through his suit and I could see speckles of blood beginning to sink through the fabric. "I think that's quite enough excitement for one night. I didn't want this to be difficult, but you brought this on yourself, sweetpea..."

I wasn't listening. I didn't care about a single word that came out of his worthless mouth. All I cared about was the shallow rise and fall of Honey's chest telling me that there was still time. Without a second thought, I tore apart the fabric of my skirt to use as a compress. I had no idea if I was doing the right thing, but I had to try. I owed her that much at the very least.

Above me, I heard a click, and looked up to see Cal brandishing the pistol down at the two of us, clearly wanting to finish the job. His finger rested on the trigger, but the second gunshot that rang from my ears curiously erupted before he had pressed down. My ears must be playing tricks on me. And my eyes must also have joined in, because as I stared into the eyes of Caledon Hockley for the last time, I watched the rage transform into shock in a split second, right before he collapsed to the floor in front of me. I could see blood beginning to pool around his leg. Jim had shot him in the ankle, the pain and shock of the bullet knocking him unconscious in the process.

As his body sunk to the ground, he revealed behind him the sight of Jim Clarkson, his rifle brandished at the exact spot where Cal had stood a moment ago. He immediately dropped his gun to the floor when he caught sight of me on the kitchen floor, skirt torn almost to the waist, my gravely injured dog in my lap covered in her own blood.

"Oh dear God, Rose, what is this?!" he gasped, rushing over to my side. "Who is this man?!"

I could barely speak, I was breathing so heavily. It was as though my senses had gone into a state of shock.

I tried to choke out an answer between sobs, but my voice refused to cooperate with me.

"And where the hell is Jack?!" Jim's voice suddenly laced with anger as he looked around the house, as though expecting Jack to appear.

"He... he's.." I choked out, desperately trying to compose some sort of answer before grief overtook me once more. Resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't get an explanation out of me before it was too late, Jim took control of the situation at hand.

"Right" he said determinedly, gritting his teeth. "Rose. I need you to listen to me. I need you to help me get her over into the living room, away from that man"

My shocked body running on autopilot, Jim and I carefully dragged Honey across the floor into the living room out of sight of the still-unconscious Cal bleeding all over my kitchen.

"Now" Jim continued, looking me right in the eye. "I am going to secure that man, and then I am going to get the police and the vet. I need you to keep holding pressure onto that wound. It's alright, we're going to sort this out"

I obeyed silently, desperately fighting to stop my breath from shuddering as I held my torn skirt over Honey's wound, my eyes fixed on the slow but steady rise and fall of her golden chest, like a tiny glimmer of sunshine in an endlessly dark sky.

With remarkable efficiency, Jim had run out to the stables to fetch some rope, which he used to tie Cal's wrists behind him and his ankles together, probably tighter than was necessary. He had also brought a saddle rug to put under Cal's wounded leg - to spare the wooden floor; not a thought spared to treating his own gunshot wound.

His task complete, Jim returned to my side, his rifle under his arm. "I'm going to get the police now, Rose" He placed his rifle on the floor beside me. "I doubt he'll wake up, and he's tied fast, but in case I'm wrong, shoot to kill, do you understand me?" I nodded firmly. I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't hesitate to obey.

"Remember what I said, keep that pressure going. I'll be back as quick as I can, I promise"

And then he was gone, and I was alone.

It could only have been twenty minutes at most before Jim returned with two policemen and Dr. Grimwood, the vet, but it felt like an eternity as I sat there, desperately trying to keep my dog alive. I felt my heart do a tiny little leap of faith as the vet pressed a little against her ribs with his stethoscope and Honey let out a slight, low groan. She was beginning to wake.

"Right, I'm going to take her back to the surgery" said Dr. Grimwood, slinging his stethoscope back around his neck. "That bullet needs removing quickly. Jim, help me get her out onto the cart"

I watched as the two men cradled Honey's limp body between them out onto the waiting cart, leaving me alone with the two policemen. One of which knelt down beside me and had the nerve to ask me if I was alright.

I was suddenly taken in by the crazy urge to laugh once again.

I couldn't have been less alright if I was back floating in the icy Atlantic waters.


	25. Chapter 25

June 28th 1912

Jack's POV

I walked slowly along the pathway down from the woods, the sound of the cool night breeze whistling through the trees as my only company. No one else was out this far so late. But then I guess no one else had much of a reason to be. I, on the other hand, wasn't in much of a rush to return home.

Rose and I hadn't had a proper argument before now. After all we'd been through in such a short time of knowing each other, it felt laughable to imagine us falling out over trivial every day matters. But I suppose it was only ever going to be a matter of time before we had something to fight over; all couples do. But that didn't make it any easier. Of course I knew that Rose was simply irritable from the extra hormones of being pregnant, but trying to talk sense into her at that moment was like talking to a brick wall. She wasn't going to budge, no matter how little sense it made. I figured a bit of time alone would give us both a chance to breathe, and for her to hopefully calm down, and so I left her alone when she told me to.

I hadn't been gone long, and I hadn't gone far. Just for a walk into the woods. There was something rather peaceful about being alone in the silence of nature. It gives you room to think. I thought back to years ago, before I first left home, to when I'd come up here to get away from the village for a bit. Most of the time I'd attempt to sketch the world around me, but eventually I had to admit that I wasn't exactly Monet. Portraits were far more my thing. I'd leave the landscapes to someone else.

I took the last drag of my cigarette, relishing the relief that ran through me as I began the stroll back home. Checking my watch, I worked out that I'd been gone for just under two hours. Surely that was enough time for Rose to have calmed down. I doubted she'd go so far as to apologise for her outburst but she'd at least be back to her normal, gentle self by now, and that was good enough for me.

I had just turned the corner onto the road home when I suddenly heard the sound of wheels on gravel in the distance. I looked up to find that I could just about make out the silhouette of a cart heading towards me. Strange, I thought to myself. The only houses up ahead on this road were ours and Jim Clarkson's farm. And he had no real reason to drive out this late. The cart was approaching pretty fast, unusually fast. As though in some sort of a hurry. As it got close enough for me to have to think about moving out of it's way, I could see that it was driven by a man I hadn't seen before. A man I hadn't seen before, and an unconscious yellow Labrador on the seat beside him, her head stretched out in his lap. Honey.

"Hey, stop!" I shouted out to the driver of the cart, standing in front of the horse to block his way.

"What are you doing with my dog?" I demanded.

"Your dog?" he repeated impatiently, clearly annoyed at having been halted. "Do you live up in that house back there with the young woman?"

"Yes, I do. What the hell's going on?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain right now, I need to get this dog back to the surgery fast. She's been shot. I think I can save her if I can get the bullet out quick, so if you don't mind...?"

He gestured urgently for me to get out of the way. Shocked by what he'd just told me, I stepped aside for him to pass. I was completely stunned. Shot? Why? How? Who...?

I was suddenly struck by a feeling of such deep horror that I felt sick. There was no one in the world who had a logical reason to be in our house with a gun, except one. I ran the rest of the way home, faster than I think I had ever run before, all the while praying as hard as I could that the worst nightmare I could possibly imagine had not come true.

As the house came into view, I could see a carriage parked outside the front gate, which as I got closer appeared to be a police carriage. Just as I began to run out of energy to run, two men appeared at the front door, each carrying one end of an unconscious man towards the police carriage. I ran up the path, skidding to a halt as I took in the image of the man they were carrying.

It was Cal. Looking just as much of a mess as the last time I had seen him in New York, but this time with the addition of a blood-stained shirt and his suit well and truly ruined by long, deep scratches that in places had reduced the fabric to ribbons. Claw marks. His right trouser leg was soaked through with blood, a clumsy bandage wrapped around it in an attempt to stop the steady dripping onto the gravel. He seemed to have been shot himself. His hands were handcuffed behind him, and he was out cold.

The sheer madness of the entire situation drove a building panic inside me. Panting heavily from having run so fast, I headed into the house, only to be greeted by what looked more like a crime scene than a family home. The kitchen was a wreck; the table and chairs in disaray, a smashed plate on the floor, which was splattered with blood on top of the pre-existing muddy paw prints that symbolised an argument which now seemed like the most pointless thing in the world to have ever walked out over.

"Jack"

The voice that called my name sounded like a devastated whimper; a far cry from the relieved call of love that I had expected to come home to. It came from the living room, where I found Rose huddled on the floor in front of the sofa, her knees to her chest, and a long jagged tear in her skirt. The tear reminded me horribly of the tear in her skirt on the night I had pulled her back onto the ship. The thoughts in my mind were no doubt the same that the stewards had had when they saw the tear.

I was at her side in an instant, dropping to my knees to wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest, as though I could shield her from the evils of the world just by holding her tight enough.

"Rose" I breathed into her tangled hair, feeling her body shuddering against me. "What the hell happened? Are you alright?"

I pushed her away for a moment to have a proper look at her, my eyes desperately checking for any sign of damage. She seemed to be mostly unscathed, except when I noticed in horror the angry red mark on the side of her face, as though from a slap. I pulled her close to me again, letting her lean her weight against me. She felt as though all the strength had drained out of her.

"Rose, please, tell me what happened" I hated having to urge her to talk about it, but I needed to know. "Did he hurt you? What did he do?"

"He came to take me back" Rose muttered into my shoulder, choking back sobs through her words. "But I wouldn't go. I refused, and he... he hit me"

A cold shiver of fury ran down my spine as I pictured the thought of Cal laying a hand on Rose. My grip on her tightened.

"He would've done worse. He tried to do worse. But then, Honey... She attacked him! She pounced right on his back!"

"Oh my God..."

I thought back to the claw marks on Cal's shredded suit, the blood speckles through the puncture marks in his shirt. I could barely imagine our wonderful, loving dog being capable of unleashing such an attack.

"Oh God, Jack she was so brave! She jumped right on top of him to protect me. And then he... he shot her!"

The last sentence was too much. She broke down into tears again, whilst all I could do was hold her. Driven by my selfish thirst for information, I gently pressed her further.

"Rose, please, tell me, then what happened? Who shot Cal?"

"I did"

I looked up at the sound of the voice. It was then that I finally noticed Jim Clarkson across the room, leaning against the window, his rifle in the crook of his arm, and his face etched with a look of thunder that I had never seen on him before.

"I heard the gunshot and came right over. Figured there was something wrong. So I showed up and found a man with a pistol standing over a terrified young woman and a half-dead dog. So I shot him down and got the police up here quick. And where the hell were you?"

His harsh, furious words stung me hard, as well they should. The woman I would in a few weeks be vowing to love and protect had been attacked in our own home, and who was there to protect her? A concerned neighbour. While I was out in the woods to be away from her. A dark feeling of deep shame hung over me, and I lowered my head to place a firm, grateful kiss on Rose's head.

"I'm sorry" I murmured into her hair, breathing her sweet, flowery scent deeply, all too aware that I may not have ever experienced it again if it weren't for Jim.

"Thank you, Jim" I said to him, his eyes still boring into me accusingly. "Thank you for protecting her better than I ever could"

Rose suddenly squirmed in my arms, sitting up to turn around and face me.

"Don't say that" she said, her eyes shining with sadness that broke my heart to see. A sadness that had no place in such beautiful eyes. "Don't ever say that. You saved me, Jack. In every way that a person can be saved. It's my own stupid fault that you weren't here. I told you to leave me alone, all you did was do what I asked. I'm sorry I was such a stupid brat. I pushed you away and was downright awful to Honey, and now she's probably going to die because she protected me"

"No, Rose, that's not going to happen" I tried to reassure her. "I spoke to the vet, he says he can save her. He just needs to get the bullet out. She's going to be fine..."

I didn't truly believe my own words, but I needed to try and be strong, to conjure an image of a brighter tomorrow for Rose's sake.

After several minutes, one of the policemen re-entered the house, to tell us that they were ready to head back to the village with Cal.

"Will the young lady be alright?" he asked me, looked concerned at Rose, who seemed to have gone silent and numb in my arms.

"Yes" I said firmly. "She's safe now"

"Alright" the man replied, straightening his jacket. "I suggest one of you makes your way down to the station in the morning. I have a feeling there will be more details to discuss"

And with that, they were gone, leaving us alone in this mess of a house.

"I'll be heading off now as well then, if you're sure you're alright" said Jim, somewhat awkwardly. He clearly hadn't completely forgiven me, but he seemed to have softened slightly.

"We'll be fine" I told him. "Thank you again, Jim, for being here. I mean it. Cal would have taken her if you hadn't been here"

"Well, I don't know what's gone on in your lives for this to have happened, but I'm thankful I was here too. You take care of that girl, now"

"I swear, I'm never letting you out of my sight again" I whispered into Rose's hair once Jim had left. Rose seemed to have fallen asleep in my arms, most likely through outright emotional exhaustion. I got to my feet, scooping her up into my arms as I did so, and she moaned slightly, nuzzling into my chest.

I carried her upstairs to our room and lay her down on the bed. I gently removed her torn, bloody clothes, breathing a silent prayer of thanks to see that the her beautiful, perfect body underneath was undamaged.

Tossing my own clothes into the pile on the floor, I lay down on the bed beside my sleeping Rose and pulled the covers over the two of us, sheltering us from the outside world. I held her safely in my arms, one hand resting over the slight bump in her stomach where our unborn child lay, and finally allowed myself to join her for a few precious hours in the land of dreams before the struggles of the morning after would fall upon us.


	26. Chapter 26

July 29th 1912

Rose's POV

You know that wonderful feeling first thing in the morning, in those first few moments before you're even fully awake, when your mind is a happy, fuzzy place in which no problems or worries lurk? Sometimes I think that's what heaven must feel like. Blissful obliviousness, just numb, blissful happiness, as if that first waking moment could last forever, when nothing in the world exists outside of the warmth of your bed, safe inside your lover's grasp.

I've never mourned that feeling any more than I did the morning after Cal's ambush. As my sleepy mind awoke from it's haze, I felt myself come crashing down from my happy dreams to a reality of worries and fears. One by one, all my troubles reawoke inside my memory. Cal's victorious grin as he walked through the front door. The sound of the gunshot ringing in my ears. The feel of Honey's blood soaking through my skirt as I attempted to spare her life.

I glanced my eyes down to the pile of clothes on the floor where that skirt now lay, the once soft lilac material coarse, torn and stained with bright red patches. Just seeing it brought the events of last night back to me as clearly as if they were happening now. Unable to look any longer, I turned around and leaned close into Jack's chest. I breathed deeply, filling myself with his comforting scent. My movements seemed to have woken him, for I felt his arms tighten around me as he leaned down to place a soft kiss on my shoulder.

"I've got you" he whispered to me. "You're safe now"

"I know" I replied, looking up to drink in the sight of the face and I thanked the heavens every day I was blessed to wake up to. But unlike every other morning, when he would smile back at me with equal happiness, today he looked sad. Sad and guilty. I could tell that he was still blaming himself for what happened last night.

"I meant what I said last night, Jack" I said. "It wasn't your fault"

"I should have been here" he replied firmly. "Even if Cal hadn't shown up, I still shouldn't have walked out on you after something so stupid"

I winced at the sound of that name.

"Please don't say that name. Not here. I don't ever want to hear that name here"

Jack looked slightly puzzled as I pushed myself up in bed to wrap my arms around his neck.

"The only name I ever want in my mind in this bed is yours"

With one hand running my fingers through the hair on the back of his head, I leaned in to kiss him, relishing the feel of his soft lips on mine. He returned my kiss hungrily, his hand stroking down my side, caressing my skin. I sighed happily at his touch, his hands on my body, his fingers now running delicately along the side of my thigh. His kiss travelled from my lips down to my neck, making me shudder with happiness as he nipped slightly at the skin there.

What felt like an eternity later, I came crashing down once more, but this time it was a fall from the stars themselves down to soft cloud, where I lay, sunken into the bedsheets, breathing heavily, in time with Jack, who had collapsed on top of me in a similar state of stunned bliss. I could feel his heart pressed against my own, our beats pushed against each other, thumping in time together.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this feeling is what heaven must be like.

We must have drifted off to sleep together, our bodies intertwined, because the next thing I became aware of was the sound of a hammering on the door. I gasped in fear as I jolted awake. My mind was quick to jump to the conclusion that it was Cal, back to try and take me again.

"Stay here, Rose" said Jack as he jumped to his feet and threw on the clothes he'd discarded last night. As much as I wanted to tell him to stay safe up here with me, I was too frightened to summon the words before he'd gone downstairs to investigate.

I listened hard as I heard him open the door, and was surprised to hear Jack's relieved, almost happy voice, thanking someone.

"Rose! Come down here!" I heard him call.

I shoved a dress over my head quickly and ran down the stairs to see what was going on.

From the stairs I could Jack and Dr. Grimwood carrying Honey into the living room.

"Oh my God!" I gasped, rushing down to join them. The two of them lay her down gently onto the sofa. She was consious, but obviously groggy, although her tail thumped happily against the sofa as I crouched down beside her. I threw my arms around her head as gently as I could restrain myself to; I badly wanted to squeeze her tight, I was so overjoyed to have her back alive, but at the same time, the shaven patch on her side and stitched up wound worried me that she may be in pain.

"I've given her a shot of morphine, so I doubt she's in pain, although probably just pretty disorientated" the vet explained. "Cost me a night's sleep but I got her patched up in the end"

He did indeed look tired. I could see the circles under his eyes as he instructed us on making sure Honey didn't overdo herself for the next few days while her body healed. He would be back at the end of the week to take out the stitches. I hated the way the ugly black thread stuck out against her golden fur, it was like a constant obvious reminder of how she had nearly sacrificed herself for me. But as long as she would heal, I could put up with it.

"I usually sort out the bills at the end of the start of each month, so just drop by the surgery in a few days and we can sort it out then" he said when Jack brought up the subject of payment before he went on his way.

"Thank you so much for saving her" I thanked him as he left.

"Just doing my job" he tipped his hat to me and left, saying he had a cow to see to at one of the farms.

For the rest of the morning, I scarcely left Honey's side. She was rather disorientated, but she seemed to appreciate my being there.

"You sure you're not getting leg cramps down there?"

Jack joined me on the floor in front of the sofa after about an hour with a plate of toast for me. I only then realised that I hadn't eaten any breakfast yet.

"I don't want to leave her" I said as I nibbled a slice of bread.

I glanced over to the kitchen, where a lot of the mess from yesterday still lingered. Jack noticed my unease as I saw it.

"Hey, why don't you go down to the village for a bit? We could use a couple of things from the grocery store anyway. I'll get rid of all that while you're gone"

I glanced aprehensively at Honey, who had fallen asleep. Part of me was desperate to get some fresh air, but otherwise...

"Don't worry, she'll be fine" Jack reassured me. "I'll keep an eye on her. Go on"

It did feel good to get out of the house for a bit after all that had happened the night before. The walk down to the village was surprisingly relaxing, for all it could sometimes feel a bit long. However, when I made it into the village centre, I soon wished I'd stayed at home.

It's unbelievable how fast news can travel in a small town like Chippewa Falls. Before I'd even made it to the grocery store I was surrounded by people wanting to know what had happened last night. The rumour mill had already been working overtime, and I was told several different stories of what had happened to me. One version had me being the one who had been shot. Another version told of how I had shot Cal myself with his own gun. The worst versions were those that said me and/or Honey had died. For all the townspeople were somewhat excited by the events of last night (such dramatic events were rather rare in such a quiet place), mostly everyone was just relieved to see I was okay.

Thankfully I managed to slip into the grocery store descretely, since Elizabeth was busy serving someone else at the counter. I quickly gathered what I needed and joined the queue to pay, bracing myself for the questions I would have to answer again. But to my surprise, all I recieved was an awkward smile and a good morning, which I quietly returned. Only once she'd handed over my bag of items did Elizabeth gently asked if I was alright. I told her I was fine and thanked her for her concern, our exchanged looks assuring her that I was thankful for her descretion.

As I began to head back towards the road home, I sighed as I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Rose, is that you? Come over here, dear!"

It was Mrs Ryan, calling from the doorway of her boarding house.

I sighed and began to walk over. A lovely woman but notorious gossip, no doubt she wanted the full story of last night's events as well.

However, I was in for a surprise.

"Oh Rose I'm so glad I caught you!" she said excitedly as I entered, barely giving me time to speak. "How are you dear? Oh there are such stories going round about last night... Well never mind that now. Come, there's someone here I'm sure you'll want to see!"

She ushered me through the hallway to the kitchen. When I saw who was sitting at the table, bolt upright, gripping her teacup with the daintiest hold possible as though it were filthy, I dropped my bag of groceries to the floor in shock.

It was my mother.

"Oh, Rose!" she exclaimed in shock. Whether it was from seeing me again, or from the embarrassment of my having clumsily dropped my things, I'll never know, though I strongly suspected the latter.

"Mother" I replied icily as I calmly bent down to gather my things.

"Oh isn't this lovely!" said Mrs Ryan, clearly under the impression that she had orchestrated a happy reunion.

"I'm sure it must have been a while since you've seen each other?" she continued, more uncertain now that the expected loving hugs and happy greetings had not materialised"

"Indeed it has" my mother replied, her voice as cold as always.

"Mrs Ryan, do you think we might have a moment alone please?" I asked stiffly but politely. The old Irishwoman nodded, clearly puzzled as to what was going on, but resisted the urge to ask and left us alone in the kitchen.

"What on Earth do you think you're playing at, you silly girl?!" my mother seethed under her breath once we were alone. Getting to her feet, she approached me, arms open, only to grasp me by the shoulders and look at me up and down. Not exactly the loving hug most daughters could expect from their mothers after months apart. "My goodness, you do look a fright!"

"How lovely to see you too, Mother. You do look well" I replied sarcastically.

In fact, here in Mrs Ryan's modest kitchen in this little country village, she looked drastically out of place in her prim dress and feathered hat, both clearly having cost more than the average weekly wage for most of the townspeople.

"Enough of your silly games, now, Rose" Mother continued. "This has gone on long enough, I say. All that to-do on the Titanic was bad enough. But the tragedy of it all must have been a shock, I'm sure. Nevertheless it's time you came to your senses and ended this whole saga right now. All being well, I'm sure Cal will have sorted out this misunderstanding with the authorities up here by the end of today, and we can make our way back to Philadelphia tonight. Heaven help me if I'm to spend another night in this place. Now, I've brought you a few things from home to change into. I'm not bringing you back to civilisation in that hideous cheap dress, of all things. Now, if you can just see reason and patch things up with Cal-"

"Excuse me?" I could scarcely believe my ears. "It's bad enough that you attempted to sell me to that son of a bitch in the first place, but now he has broken into my house, attempted to kidnap me at gunpoint, shot and nearly murdered my dog, and you want me to just patch things up with him and carry on?!"

I shouted my words at her, not caring at all whether or not Mrs Ryan or anyone else in the world could hear me. I was far too furious with my mother to care who heard our business. My mother's eyes grew wide with shock as I shouted at her, occasionally darting them across the room as though she was sure someone were listening.

"Really, Rose, do calm down" she hissed, still keeping her voice down for God knows what reason. Habit, I suppose. "All that goings on last night was really your own fault. Running off into the middle of nowhere like that, after the Titanic. It was ridiculously childish of you. It's damned lucky of Cal to even want to keep this engagement going! You should be grateful!"

"Grateful?! Do you honestly even hear yourself, woman?!"

She almost grimaced in horror as I roared at her. She had likely never been spoken to so crudely in her life. But it was high time someone did.

"That man is a downright dangerous criminal, and still you expect me to marry him! You truly are a pathetic excuse for a mother!"

She opened her mouth to reply, but I halted her. I wasn't done yet. It was time she heard some home truths.

"You are a vile, selfish, self-obsessed woman, Mother. You don't even deserve that title, since you clearly know nothing about your own daughter if you think I would ever say another civil word to Cal for as long as I live. Oh, and by the way. I never did tell you the truth about how I met Jack, did I? He pulled me back over the railing of the ship after I slipped, after convincing me not to throw myself into the ocean. You claim to have my best interests at heart? Well those best interests drove me to wanting to kill myself, before Jack saved me. As far as I'm concerned, he is the only family I have now, and quite frankly I couldn't care less if I never set eyes on you again. Good day, Mrs. DeWitt Buckator"

I turned and made my way to the door, before I decided to add one last message.

"Oh, and just to let you know, I am almost three months pregnant with your first grandchild"

Her face was an image of deeper horror than it had been when I last saw her, staring after me as I ran away from the lifeboat. I photographed the image to frame in my mind as a little victory prize before I picked up my bag and marched from the room.

In the hallway stood a very shocked Mrs Ryan. She had clearly heard the whole argument. But then it was almost impossible not to.

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Mrs Ryan, but I would rather prefer if my mother and I did not meet again" I said politely, my tone as gentle as though I hadn't just unleashed a storm of eighteen years' worth of penned up emotions inside her house. She stared open-mouthed as I left her house, closing the door gently behind me.

I breathed deeply as I walked home, somehow feeling as though a great load had been lifted from my conscience.


	27. Chapter 27

July 1st 1912

Jack's POV

Following her encounter with Ruth, Rose was quieter than I think I'd ever seen her. She refused to talk about it; throwing herself into household tasks with a look of grim determination. I wanted her to talk about it, worried that she was bottling up her emotions, but at the same time I didn't want to push her to hard and have her snap again as she did that night. So I didn't push her.

"You know I'm here if you want to talk about it, right?" I told her that night as we got into bed.

"I know" Rose replied with a grateful smile. "But really, I just don't. I can't explain why. I guess I'd just rather forget about it. And her. She's been a thorn in my side for too long. I'd just rather put her behind me"

She snuggled up to me, her head on my chest, her favourite position to sleep in.

"You're my family now" she said with a happy sigh. "You, Honey, and our baby"

Honey herself was asleep downstairs, where she still commandeered the sofa as her sickbed. The vet had assured us that she would be back to her usual self in a few days. I very much hoped that he wouldn't be proven wrong. Just before I drifted off, I mentally reminded myself that tomorrow was the first of the month, and I would need to sort out payment with Dr. Grimwood, the vet. I suddenly realised that I had completely forgotten to follow up with the police today. I decided I would get that sorted out at the same time. I hoped they wouldn't want to speak to Rose again. I wanted to keep her as far away from anything else to do with the matter as possible.

The next day, I made my way into town, baring in mind Rose's warnings about the gossiping that was in full swing about what had happened that night. I kept the the edge of the streets, avoiding the glances that headed my way as I walked past. They could look and wonder if they wanted to, as long as they didn't start pestering for answers, I was happy.

I headed to the police station first. I figured they would want to have some more questions answered to help with the case against Cal. So you can imagine my shock when they told me that he was gone.

"What the hell do you mean he's gone?!" I snapped at the constable behind the desk. "The man's a criminal and you just let him walk out of here?!"

The policeman narrowed his eyes at me in warning.

"Mr Hockley has been released. He left town on the first train this morning, along with his lady companion" he explained, failing to keep his obvious annoyance out of his voice. "No human injuries were sustained in the event, except on his part, which he's kindly agreed not to press charges against Mr Clarkson for"

"So that's it?!" I snapped back at him. "He's said he's sorry and that's it, he's let go without a second thought?!"

"Of course not" the policeman replied rudely. "Mr Hockley was fined fifty dollars for breaking and entering, and he's been required to pay the veterinary fees for Dr Grimwood's work that night. He paid his debts to the law and was free to go"

"That's complete bullshit!" I shouted, slamming my fist down on the desk. I couldn't help it. The entire situation stank hideously of corruption. Clearly Cal had simply bought his way out of the charges, the way he bought his way out of everything.

"Mr Dawson, if you do not calm down I will have to insist that you leave. In fact I cannot see what else there is for us to do here. The case is closed. Mr Hockley has paid a fine for breaking into your property, he has been cleared of any other wrongdoing, Mr Harker has been fined for his involvement, and that is the end of the matter"

"Wait, what?" I was puzzled by his words. "Mr Harker? What the hell does he have to do with anything?"

The policeman sighed and rolled his eyes; he was clearly more than fed up with having to deal with me.

"Mr Hockley was kind enough to explain to us how he was prompted to travel to Chippewa Falls after receiving a letter detailing how his fiance was being held here against her will. Of course with that information it's entirely explainable how he would have broken into your house in an attempt to save her. Of course, with that information being proven false, Mr Harker is clearly responsible for having incited the whole event. Some sort of business-related grudge against Mr Hockley"

I forced myself to breath deeply as I dug my nails into the desk in an attempt to remain calm. I knew I shouldn't shoot the messenger, as the saying goes, but right then I wanted nothing more in the world than to throw a punch right at that idiot constable's face. I turned and left the office, too angry for words.

I walked along the street, not really heading anywhere, mostly just to attempt to keep myself calm. I tried to remind myself that Rose was safe, Honey was recovering, and that was what mattered most. But every time I tried, all I could see was Cal's smug face, laughing at the fact that he had gotten away with crimes that would see most people behind bars. He had gotten away with threatening our life together. And he'd had an insider helping him.

Harker had never been a pleasurable man to be around. He'd always fancied himself a cut above the rest of us. Hell I had even compared him to Cal once or twice in the past. But I never imagined that he would have brought the wolf to our door. I comforted myself in the fact that I may not have been able to get to Cal, but I could get to Harker easily. My mood was soothed by the thought of my fist pummelling into the side of his face. His yelp of pain as he staggered sideways. Maybe even a tooth or two being spat out of his mouth with a splash of blood.

And then reality dawned on me. Harker may not commandeer an empire the size of Cal's, but he was still pretty damn well off compared to most people around here. He had enough money to ensure that I would be prosecuted for laying a finger on him. And that was not something I could allow to happen. For Rose's sake. Harker was untouchable.

I snapped. I lurched sideways yelled out, slamming my fist into the brick wall of the shop beside met. I felt the brick cut through the skin of my knuckles, the sting of the impact. I leaned against the wall, breathing hard through the pain. I glanced sideways at the people who had stopped to stare at me, shocked by my outburst.

"Sorry" I muttered, walking off quickly.

I walked until I ended up at the large square of green in the middle of the village. It was a pretty nice area, a few flowerbeds separated by gravel paths, and a monument of some sort in the middle. It was quiet today. I sat down at one of the empty benches on the edge of the green and looked down at my hand. A couple of scratches and blood speckles, nothing that wouldn't heal. I sat for several minutes in the quiet of the area, finally feeling the anger simmering inside me. Now I just felt hopeless. It felt so wrong that those that had wronged us would be getting away with their crimes with no repercussions. Well, there had been fines to pay, but none that had put a dent in either of their pockets. If only there were a way to truly make them pay...

Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the people walking past. Several of them glanced in my direction. They whispered to their companions. They were clearly talking about us. I felt a flicker of annoyance. Didn't people have anything better to do than to gossip?

But then I had a thought. One of those thoughts that starts off as a joke, but then quickly develops into a serious idea. Perhaps the rumour mill could be put to good use after all.

"Looking for answers, are you?" I called out to a pair of women who had caught my gaze before attempting to turn away.

They glanced over at me awkwardly, not too sure how to react.

"I'm sorry" one of them said quickly. "We didn't mean to-"

"No really, it's fine" I gestured them over. "You want to know what happened, I'll tell you"

I got to my feet to meet them halfway.

"After all, I reckon it's only fair that people know what criminal they're buying their food from"

Now there was no denying their eagerness for details. And like a fresh spring in a parched desert, I gave them the glorious scandal they were thirsty for.


	28. Chapter 28

July 6th 1912

Rose's POV

"Come on, Rose, there must be something here you like!"

Sarah sighed as she flicked her way through the dresses on the rail. An hour and a half into our hunt for my wedding dress, and we still hadn't found one that I could see myself wearing in just over two weeks' time. Today's trip to Eau Claire to find my dress was Sarah's latest attempt at cheering me up after the encounter with Cal, but I was fast proving to be a lost cause. As much as it did help to take my mind off of him by focusing on mine and Jack's upcoming wedding, I still couldn't walk into the town without feeling the curious eyes of the crowd on me, their unspoken questions constantly dragging my mind back to that night.

I was grateful for the relief of Honey having her stitches removed and being given a clean bill of health yesterday, however. Until then I had scarcely left the house for fear of what might possibly happen to her while I wasn't there. Now that she was up and about again, almost fully-healed, I could relax just a little.

But I could not, however, be persuaded to enjoy dress shopping.

"How about this one?" said Sarah, holding up a rather plain dress with long, swirling sleeves and a high neckline.

"I don't think so" I said uncertainly, the almost exact same answer I gave to every dress.

"Rose, really. I might as well be trying to dress a man for all the help you're giving me here"

"I'm sorry, Sarah" I said with a hopeless sigh. "I don't know, I just don't feel like any of these dresses is right"

Maybe it was because I had had so little involvement in the planning of my last wedding, but I just didn't feel able to decide on anything. Any choice that I had been granted the priviledge of making had been sighed upon and disapproved of by my mother, who seemed intent on making me believe that everything I chose was wrong.

"There's a right dress for every woman, Rose" Sarah said determindely, running her hands through the rows of dresses once more. "We just have to keep looking"

She pulled out another dress for my inspection.

"This one?"

I grimaced at the sight of the hideous dress in front of me. It consisted of layers of expensive fabric to form a skirt that resembled more of a pastry than a dress. The bodice was cinched in tight at the waist, and it was bedecked with so many beads and crystals that the whole thing sparkled in the light in a very tacky sort of way. To top it off, it was one of the most expensive dresses in the shop.

"That is exactly the sort of thing my mother would make me wear" I said. "And for that very reason, I would never wear it in a million years"

"So I assume your mother is coming to the wedding?" Sarah asked as she stuck the dress back on the rail, probably changing the subject before she gave in to the urge to scream at me.

"No" I replied.

Sarah gave me a puzzled look.

The story of how my monster of an ex-fiance had come to try and kidnap me was now common knowledge, but I hadn't told anyone that my mother had also been in town, except for Mrs Ryan, who had been surprisingly inactive on the grape vine since hosting our happy little meeting.

"We don't see eye to eye" I explained. "She wasn't exactly... approving, when I broke off my previous engagement to be with Jack"

Sarah smiled.

"Then she's a fool" she said. "It's plain to see how happy you and Jack are together"

"My happiness was never high on my mother's list of priorities, I'm afraid" I snorted.

"In which case I think we're all better off without the pleasure of her company" Sarah declared before thrusting another dress out at me for inspection.

It wasn't that I didn't agree that my wedding would be a happier affair without my mother, but I couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact that the day would be celebrated with so little family present. I wished badly that my father were here, to walk me down the aisle, and so I could have at least one parent who would smile proudly at me on the happiest day of my life. The only other close family I had was my mother's sister, my Aunt Hilda, who was every bit as snobbish as my mother, and so no doubt would refuse an invitation if I decided to offer her one. And with Jack's parents both dead, and his own lack of extended family, it was easy to see how our day could be seen as a lonely one.

But then I remembered how many wonderful friends we would have with us; Fabrizio and Helga were coming up from New York, as were Nathan and his family, and even Molly Brown had joyfully accepted our invitation. Then of course there was Sarah and Peter, as well as Jim Clarkson and plenty of other people from the village we knew. Despite our lack of blood relatives, it was sure to be a happy day. As long as the bride didn't show up without a dress, of course.

On and on we went, dress after dress, rejection after rejection. Sarah was starting to get as annoyed as the sales assistant lurking in the corner looked, but I just couldn't warm to anything put before me.

"Okay, one more, and then I'll stop torturing you. For today" said Sarah in defeat as she limply pulled out the last dress.

I stared at what she held out, and I couldn't help but gasp.

I had seen that dress before. In another time, another life.

It was the exact same dress as the red and black one I had worn the night of the dinner and Third Class party on the Titanic. The dress that now lay in the ruins of the ship I had worn it on. This dress may be white as snow, but the cut and style was exactly the same as that dress. Even the style of the beaded embroidery was the same, although these beads were crystal clear as opposed to the shiny black ones on the other dress. They glinted delicately in the light, not too overpowering, just subtle enough to be a final, beautiful touch.

My mind raced back to that night, months ago, when I had chosen what to wear to dinner on the night that Jack would be joining us in First Class. For the first time in ages, I had wanted to make an effort. Usually I just let my mother or Trudy select a dress for the evening for me, but that night I specifically chose the red and black one because it was one of the few I owned that I actually thought I looked good in, one of the few that my mother didn't sigh at me when I wore because my body was all wrong. That dress was one of the best I owned. I wouldn't admit it at the time, but I wanted to look my best for Jack. And that dress made me feel my best.

And now here it was, back again, to fulfil it's duty; to make me look my best on the most important day of my life for the man I loved. It was fate.

"I'll take it"

Sarah's head jerked up in surprise.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, clearly wondering if she'd imagined my words.

"That dress. I'll take it" I repeated firmly.

"Hallelujah!" Sarah cried in delight. "Finally, we have a winner!"

I was quickly ushered to one side by the salesgirl to have my measurements taken, who was clearly overjoyed to finally have made a sale after so long.

When we finally walked out of the store with my dress wrapped and boxed up, Sarah turned to me and said, "Rose, thank you so much for choosing that dress. I know I'm supposed to say "because it looks beautiful on you", but in all honesty it's because I was one dress away from strangling you with a veil"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well I hope you won't want to strangle me when I ask you for an enormous favour"

"Well I'd say that depends on the favour"

"Would you be my bridesmaid?"

She stopped in her tracks on the street, open-mouthed.

"Do you really mean it?" she gasped.

"Of course I do!" I replied. "You're the first real friend I made since moving here. If you hadn't had the kindness to speak to me that day at the library I'd probably still be hiding behind a pile of textbooks in silence today. Not to mention the fact that you gave me a job I love"

"Rose, I'm touched, really. But aren't bridesmaids supposed to be unmarried?"

"Oh who cares? I want you with me when I walk down the aisle, married or otherwise. To hell with traditions. God knows I've broken enough of them already"

"Perhaps white wasn't the colour we should have gone for after all, hmm?" Sarah sang with a cheeky smile, collapsing into giggles when I hit her on the arm.

The journey back to Chippewa Falls was a long one, and by the time we arrived on the outskirts of the town we were both pretty tired. But as I gazed out of the window of the omnibus, I was snapped out of my daydream by the sight of activity outside the manor house belonging to Mr Harker. There were a large group of workmen hauling furniture, packing cases and trunks out of the house and into large coaches. Halfway up the drive, supervising with a face like thunder, was Mr Harker himself.

I shrunk away from the window at the sight of him. Jack had told me everything about how he had brought Cal up here to us, and how he had gotten away with it too. All of my feelings of hurt and anger resurfaced at the sight of him. But I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Before I could ask, however, Sarah had also caught sight of the goings on.

"Ha! I see Harker's finally on his way out!" she laughed triumphantly.

"What do you mean, 'finally'?" I asked.

"You haven't heard? He's been driven out! Ever since word got out about how he told that awful ex-fiance of yours where you were, not a single person in town has been buying his produce. It's like the whole town's staged a boycott. In these few days alone he's lost half a goldmine"

I was shocked. I had no idea about any of this. But then I had been avoiding the town and it's people for days. And all the while, the people of Chippewa Falls had been carrying out their own punishment on the man who had betrayed us; demanding from him payment that the law was happy to forgo.

"Oh my God.." I muttered.

"Oh yes, it's true" Sarah continued. "Folk are pretty angry. He's never been a popular man to begin with but all this has given everyone the perfect excuse to get rid of him completely. Hard as it is to admit, he's not an idiot. He knows the people won't go back to buying his goods. Looks like he's seen sense and sold up. And he'll be gone soon by the looks of it"

I craned my neck behind me as we drove past to get one last look at the man who had sold me out to Cal. The sight of his defeated, angered face lifted my spirits greatly. It felt good to know that Harker had been made to pay the price for his crimes, even if Cal would not.

True to Sarah's predictions, by the next day, word was spread about town that Mr. Harker was gone. His mansion sold, his business on the market, his grocery store shelves empty. With this knowledge I finally felt as though I could bring closure to the whole awful event. Finally, I could relax, move on, and focus on my future. My wonderful future, beginning with the day I would finally truly become Rose Dawson.


	29. Chapter 29

July 20th 1912

Jack's POV

The days were warmer, the skies were clearer, and the whole countryside was rich with the sights, sounds and smell of life in full swing. Summer in Chippewa Falls was a brief, happy time in which the people seemed as sunny as the sky above. Free from the stress of thick snow, frozen fields and hours of darkness, it was a time to relax and enjoy the sight of lush green fields dotted with flowers, like paint splatters on a canvas, feel the warm sunshine on bare skin and swim in the warm waters of the lake.

For us especially, summer brought an extra dose of happiness. With the dark days of Cal's visit finally drifting off day by day into the horizon, Rose and I could now turn our attention to our upcoming wedding. At first Rose had found it hard to focus on the preparations for the day. She found it particularly hard to shrug off the troubles of the previous weeks, and since her mother had taken all responsibility and joy out of wedding preparations for her, she at first struggled to get into the tasks at hand.

However, when she returned from her trip with Sarah Anderson to find a dress, I found her transformed. She was far more excited and joyful that evening than she had been in days, and I could only assume it was the dress she'd found that had changed her. Not that I had seen it yet. It was hidden away inside a cupboard I'd been forbidden to go near.

After that day, we managed to get through the rest of the wedding plans so much easier than before. We already knew that we would be married at the church in the centre of Chippewa Falls; it was the same church my parents had been married in, and where they were now buried.

For several weeks after returning to Chippewa Falls I had put off visiting the churchyard. I couldn't face it, somehow. But as time went on and the unease I had felt about returning subsided, I finally decided to go. I went alone; not through Rose not wanting to go, but because I somehow felt that I needed to go alone. That visit to the silence of the gravesite had helped a lot. I left feeling as though a large weight had lifted from my chest. I finally felt as though I had put the past to rest, and that I could now move on, begin anew, and return the town to a place of happy memories, as it had once been.

Despite this, I was still saddened by the thought that my parents weren't here to see us marry. I was sure they would have liked Rose. But nevertheless, the day would still be made special by plenty of other people who more than made up for both mine and Rose's mutual lack of family.

Nathan, Selina and Lucy had arrived in Chippewa Falls yesterday. They had decided to come up a few days early to make a proper holiday out of the trip, seeing as it was Lucy's first experience of life outside of New York city. From the moment she'd stepped off of the train, she had been an unstoppable force of overexcitement at the new sights, sounds and smells. It was wonderful to see how such an ordinary little town could be transformed into a magical land full of wonders through the eyes of a girl who had been raised on concrete and, for most of her short life, orphanage gruel.

She, along with Selina and Sarah, were to be Rose's bridesmaids. Lucy had at first been excited at the prospect, but after having to endure a fitting for the dress that she'd been warned she had to keep clean, the role of bridesmaid had somewhat soured. Besides, she'd told us all plainly, she didn't like lavender.

That afternoon, with her mother busy helping Rose to sew the finishing details onto the bridesmaids' dresses, I offered to take Lucy with me down to the train station. Despite having spent the last hour dashing around the fields in a game with Nathan, she jumped at the chance. So off we went, heading out to the edge of the village, Lucy racing down the paths alongside Honey, scarcely looking back to check that I was still with her.

By the time we reached the platform, she was finally tired out, so it was a good thing we had a few minutes' wait for the train from New York to arrive before we made our way home again.

"Who are we waiting for?" Lucy asked, scuffing her shoe on the gravel in a a bored manner.

"Some friends of mine" I replied, scouring the crowds emerging onto the platform through the smoke of the train. Finally, I found them.

"Fabrizio! Helga!" I called out, waving to get their attention, Lucy joining in when she realised who we were trying to attract. Finally, they noticed us, and headed over, each with a suitcase in hand.

"Jack! It is so good to see you again!" said Fabrizio with one of his infectious smiles as we embraced.

"Sure is good to see you too" I replied. It definitely was. Both he and Helga looked much better than when we had last seen each other, but then probably so did I. Most people tend to look better when they're not covered in the remnants of sea-water and recovering from a shipwreck.

I turned to Helga and said hello, welcoming her to Chippewa Falls to test her English.

"Hello, Jack" she replied with a confident smile. "It is very nice to be here"

"Well done, that was perfect" I congratulated her.

"Ah, she's a fast learner, this one" said Fabrizio, putting his arm around her with a proud smile. "We hope she'll be good enough to continue to study alone by winter. We still wish to move south before it gets too cold. After the Titanic..."

He shook his head, waving his hand dismissively.

"Not anymore. I never wish to feel such cold again"

I didn't blame him at all.

I introduced them to Lucy, who had suddenly decided to turn very shy when faced with new people, as she had when she first met Rose and I. As we set off walking towards the house, she took off once more alongside Honey, happily racing off into the distance.

As we walked, Fabrizio told me more about their life in New York.

"We are renting just a small apartment" he told me. "The money that your wonderful Rose gave us, we want to save as much as possible, for the future. As soon as Helga is ready, we will go to Florida"

"Any idea what you plan to do there?" I asked.

"I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work. I think about opening a restaurant. I love America, but I do miss Italia... Something things more than others, but certainly the food. I think in the south it will be easier to find things familiar from home; tomatoes, olives... Maybe that is how I will make my fortune in this country, eh?"

"That's not a bad idea" I chuckled as the house came into view. "I bet ten years from now you'll be a millionaire restaurateur"

By the time we'd arrived, Rose and Selina had finished with the dresses and were in the process of preparing dinner. It's a good thing they weren't too far in, as the amount of time it took to introduce everyone and catch up, it would have been ruined had it already been on the range.

"Ah, Rose!" said Fabrizio as he greeted her with a kiss on each cheek. "You are even lovelier than the last time I see you"

"Thank you" Rose replied with a happy laugh. "How are you both?"

"We are good, very good, grazie" he replied, as he and Helga exchanged knowing smiles. Something was up.

"In fact... Now that we are all together, we have something to say"

All eyes were on them as Fabrizio gave Helga a prompting nod.

"We are married!" she announced happily, beaming from ear to ear.

The news was surprising, but no less happy.

"That's wonderful!" said Rose, giving Helga a hug as she congratulated her in Norwegian.

"Already?" I asked Fabrizio. In the several letters we'd exchanged, he hadn't mentioned anything about a wedding, and so I assumed that Rose and I had beaten them to it.

"Si" he replied with a smiling shrug. "What can I say? We did not want to wait. The day after we find a place to live, we went to the first church we could see in New York and we were married"

They both raised their left hand to show the gold wedding rings that I was amazed I hadn't noticed before.

"We did not want to wait" Helga added, taking care with her words in a slightly uncertain tone. "I know I love him, and he to me, and so why shall we wait?"

"Fair enough" I replied with a smile, giving Fabrizio another hug.

That evening, I realised how wonderful it was to have the house so full. With just Rose, Honey and I, it tended to be rather quiet, with Rose and I usually spending our evenings completing our separate tasks together - myself working on sketches for work and her preparing notes and plans for lessons. Now, however, with Nathan, Selina, Lucy, Fabrizio and Helga crammed in with us, the house was wonderfully full and loud.

As we headed towards the time when everyone's minds were beginning to drift towards the prospect of sleep, I invited Fabrizio out onto the porch for a cigarette. Never one to turn down a free smoke, of course he accepted.

"This is a nice place, Jack" he said to me as we stared out into the night sky over the fields. "I am sure you and your Rose will be happy here together"

"I'm sure we will too" I replied, tapping my foot nervously as I took a drag on my cigarette for encouragement.

"I have something I need to ask you" I said.

"Aha? What is that?" Fabrizio asked, still staring into the horizon before us.

"Look, I know I kinda screwed up the whole "let's go to America together" plan, getting us tickets on that damned ship-"

"Ah Jack, come on, you cannot say that was your fault. The ship's fate was ill from before we knew her"

"I know, but still, it didn't exactly go to plan. Anyway, yeah, it didn't really go to plan, but, a better plan came out of it. We both found a girl on the ship and ended up going separate ways, but in spite of that-"

"Jack" Fabrizio interrupted, holding up his cigarette which was almost finished. "I have about two drags left of this, and if you have not asked your question before then I am going back inside"

"Fine, screw it" I laughed. "Will you be my best man at my wedding?"

Finishing the last drag of his cigarette, Fabrizio turned to me and chuckled as he tossed the fizzled end over the porch.

"Mio amico, it is funny that you think you even had to ask"


	30. Chapter 30

July 23rd 1912

Rose's POV

I held my breath as I lifted up the cake tin to reveal the still-hot sponge inside. I was sure it was going to collapse. Surely I'd done something wrong. But amazingly, it stood strong and proud, it's beautiful smell filling the kitchen.

"Perfect!" said Selina delightedly. "See Rose, I told you it would come out fine!"

I felt pride swell inside me. It was a laughable fact that I was only now at eighteen baking my first cake. But that first cake also happened to be my wedding cake. And so I'd been a bucket of nerves all the while I followed Selina's instructions.

"One down, two tiers to go" Selina carefully transferred the cake to a plate and placed it up on one of the kitchen shelves - high out of the reach of over-curious Labradors with never-ending appetites. I was very grateful for Lucy, who kept Honey more than occupied all day every day, playing outside in the sun.

I glanced out of the kitchen window to see them running around the meadow now. They were joined today by Helga. She had taken quite a shine to Lucy in the last few days. Lucy had at first been shy with both her and Fabrizio, but she had opened up with some coaxing. I think Helga enjoyed chatting with Lucy because it was easier to practice her English with a child. I smiled watched the two of them chasing through the long grass together with Honey bounding in between them, laughing together.

It was the day before Jack and I would be married. And in keeping with tradition, we would be spending the day apart. He, Nathan and Fabrizio had left early in the morning, and would be spending the night at Mrs Ryan's guest house, where Molly Brown was already staying, having arrived the day before. The poor Irishwoman was giddy with delight and nerves at having such a prominent woman of society staying with her.

I had ached with loneliness all morning, despite being surrounded by friends. Jack and I had spent every day together since we'd met. To now be apart, and to face the prospect of a night alone in our bed without his warmth beside me, was awful. Thankfully the task I had set myself of baking our own wedding cake was doing a good job of distracting me.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Selina" I said as we began to clear up in preparation to start again with the second tier. "I must look so foolish to you. Eighteen and can't even bake a cake"

"It's not as though you could help it" Selina replied gently. "The only thing I find foolish is that your mother neglected to teach you the important things in life. Really, what did they teach you in finishing school?"

"How to curtsy. How to make polite conversation. And French"

"French?"

"Oui. Je parle français parfait"

Selina chuckled.

"Well I don't know what that means but I'm pretty sure it's nothing to do with cake-baking"

"No, sadly not" I sighed. "Sadly I'm not at all fluent in that area yet"

"Well, you've certainly picked a good time to start. Not many can say that the first cake they baked was their wedding cake!"

By late afternoon, the kitchen was a disaster of mess. And sitting in the middle of the mess, like a diamond in a rubbish pile, was my wedding cake. Small, three-tiered, with simple white and blue icing. It was homemade by me, inexpensive, and simple. The complete opposite of the freakishly expensive enormous mess of sponge and icing my mother had ordered from one of the finest bakers in Philadelphia. And that's what made it perfect.

"Bloody hell, this place smells good"

"Daddy!"

Lucy ran into her father's arms as he stepped through the front door.

"You're not supposed to be here" Selina greeted her husband with a grin as she accepted his kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, I'm not the one getting married here. Once was more than enough, thank you"

Nathan laughed as he accepted the slap on the arm he earned from his wife.

"Anyway, someone had to come and make sure you lot weren't getting into too much mischief while unsupervised"

"Well, as you can see, we've been a damn sight more productive than I bet you have" I told him, gesturing to my masterpiece on the table.

"So I can see. Well, if it tastes as good as it smells, then I'd say you've uncovered quite a hidden talent there, Rosie"

I couldn't keep the beaming smile from my face. But I also felt a few nerves as I forced myself to ask the question I'd been putting off since our friends from New York had arrived.

"Nathan" I began. "Could I speak with you alone for a moment?"

"Sure" he replied, his bright eyes flickering with curiosity.

I led the way out of the room, and up into the spare bedroom that he, Selina and Lucy were calling home during their stay.

"What is it?" he asked with soft concern.

I took a deep breath.

"Nathan, you know how highly I think of you, right?" I asked.

"Well, if you didn't think much of me then now sure would be an awkward time to find out" he joked, finding humour in awkward moments as he was so talented for.

"Of course I do" I continued with a smile. "But anyway, that's what I mean. You're my oldest friend. My only friend, for so long. And with my father gone... I'd like you to give me away tomorrow"

Nathan's eyes, so usually full of cheer, now filled with emotion. Touched, deep emotion that I hadn't seen from him before.

"Oh, Rose"

He stepped forward and embraced me in a hug. I heard him try to sniff silently into my shoulder, suppressing a tear of happiness.

"I would be honoured to give you away"

***

July 24th 1912

I awoke to a ray of blinding morning sunlight in my eyes. I could hear the chirping of birds outside the window. The glint of blue sky promised a warm and cloudless day. My wedding day.

I felt butterflies fluttering around inside me. I was nervous. So nervous. But so excited. Just a few more hours, and I would be with Jack again. I glanced across at the empty space next to me, where Jack should be. Another pang of loneliness hit me as I realised how much I missed waking up with his arms around me. But tonight we would be reunited. And we would never be apart again.

I could barely bring myself to eat any breakfast, I was so nervous and excited. Not to mention my secret extra passenger was still causing me to feel a little nauseous in the mornings. Thankfully I hadn't been sick today, at least. Although almost safely wed, I still wanted to keep my pregnancy as mine and Jack's sweet secret just a little longer. 

"Come on, Rose, you should try to eat something" Selina urged me. "You don't want to get to the church and faint from hunger, it would rather spoil the day"

I forced myself to nibble on a strawberry, finding at least a little comfort as it's sweetness exploded over my tongue. In all my excitement, all my nerves, somehow outwardly I didn't know what to do.

I sat at the table daydreaming to myself while Selina and Helga took over the last minute preparations. The wedding was at noon. Just a few more hours to go...

As the morning wore on, the final touches were put together in a crazy haze. Selina wrestled Lucy into a bath against her will and forced her into her bridesmaid dress with a stern warning not to get it dirty. Meanwhile, Helga was given the task of taking the cake down to the village, to the large village green where the wedding party would be held. Finally, there was little else to do, besides get ready. Helga, one of my three bridesmaids, had changed into her dress to encourage Lucy that it wasn't all that bad an idea. I noticed how beautifully the lavender material blended with her white-blonde Nordic hair. Selina had politely declined to join the bridesmaids, stating that she felt too old to be a "maid" anymore. She insisted she would rather enjoy the sight of her daughter and husband escorting me down the aisle. My third bridesmaid, Sarah, would join us at the church.

Just as I was looking up at the clock and thinking it was probably time to think about getting dressed, a knock at the door rang, followed by a wonderfully familiar voice.

"Hello! Anyone home?"

Molly Brown. Her everlasting cheerful self as always. She was dressed in what could be considered a modest gown by society standards, but was still far more glitteringly expensive than that of which any of the other guests would be wearing, complete with a matching, clearly equally expensive handbag.

"I figured I'd better head up here and make sure you're all-"

She took in the sight of me, sat at the kitchen table, still in my nightdress.

"Oh Rose, dear, thank God I came! You're not even dressed!"

She wasted no time in taking me by the arm and manhandling me upstairs.

"Rose there is barely an hour before you need to be at that church! I know this isn't exactly a grand society wedding but really! The men down there are all ready to go and you've not even got your dress on! Where is the damned thing anyway? Oh I've been dying to see it!"

The men were already dressed? I found myself drifting back into a daydream, desperately trying to recall every last detail of how Jack had looked in that suit on the Titanic... Would he look anything like that today?

"Is this it? Oh darlin' it's gorgeous!"

Molly had discovered my dress where I'd hung it up in my wardrobe yesterday, finally safe from accidental discover by my very soon-to-be husband.

"I'm sure I've seen this before... God call me crazy but it looks exactly like-"

"Like the dress I wore on the Titanic"

Molly smiled sadly at the memory as she gazed at my wedding dress.

"Yep, that's the one" she replied. "Oh Rose I'm so happy for you, truly. I could see from the start you didn't care anything for that swine your mother set you up with. It's truly a joy to see you here today, marrying someone you truly love"

I smiled, a rush of affection for this woman who had borne more motherly concern towards my feelings than my own mother was even capable of. I realised I was far happier to have her here with me today than I was sad about the lack of my own mother's presence.

Waving away her emotion, Molly laid my dress out on the bed and shouted out of the door into the house.

"Girls! Get up here now, we've got a bride to prepare!"

It's amazing the transformation that can be achieved on one person in half an hour. After being zipped into my dress, my hair was brushed until it shone in a cascade of red curls down my back. Helga braided a lock of my hair either side of my face with a white silk ribbon, pulling the braids back to hold my hair away from my face. Tidy, yet still free-falling down my back and around my shoulders. Selina powdered my face until the evidence of my nerves and excitedly sleepless night were hidden. My lips were painted a deep red. Rose red. Lucy dabbed me around the neck and wrists with perfume, surprisingly delicate. 

I gazed at myself in the full length mirror against the wall. As I took in the sight of myself in my wedding dress, I suddenly felt very emotional, and had to quickly catch a tear as it threatened to fall from my eye and spoil my face.

"Rose, what is it?" Helga asked on behalf of the other women who shared her confused look.

"Nothing, nothing, it's... It's just that for so long I dreaded my wedding day. I never thought that I could feel so happy to be getting married!"

"Well, enough of that now, we're not quite finished yet" said Molly as she reached into her handbag for something.

"You've got your dress, that's your something new. But of course you need something old..."

Out of her bag she pulled a small jewellery box. From the box she pulled a delicate silver bracelet, a solid circle bangle with a delicate clasp.

"I know it ain't too fancy, but it sure is special. This here was worn by my mother on her wedding day, and she passed it on to me when I married my Jim, for all the luck it gave us. But since my own daughter ain't showing any signs of getting hitched any time soon, I figured we'd give it's luck a try again now. I know your own mother ain't up to much, Rose, but I think of you in a very daughterly way. So I'd be honoured if you'd wear this today"

I was so deeply touched by her words that I had to fight not to cry again. I could only nod and hold out my arm, allowing her to clasp the bracelet around my wrist.

"Well I guess that also covers the "something borrowed" as well, huh?" Molly added with a smile.

"Now that's cheating" Selina retorted, returning back into the room that none of us had realised she'd even left. "I've had the "something borrowed" planned already..."

She handed me a small bundle of... lace? I gently unwrapped the delicate fabric to discover it was a wedding veil.

"My own veil" she confirmed. "It was just a shot, I brought it just in case... I didn't know if you would have one or not, and now I know you don't... It's something of a tradition in my family to pass down the veil from mother to daughter. Sadly since I left Spain so long ago I had to buy my own in New York, but I thought I could pass on the tradition to you now, before I can hopefully give it to Lucy one day"

Another deeply thoughtful gesture from another wonderful friend. For all I had been concerned by my lack of family present at my wedding, the gestures of love and kindness offered to me today had proven that my concerns were worth less than nothing in the grand scheme of things. I was more truly loved than I had realised.

"Thank you both so much" I breathed as I raised my hand to feel the lace veil hanging around my head, the silver bracelet sliding up my arm as I did so.

"Well, something old, something new, something borrowed..." Molly recited, counting them off on her fingers. "Bit of a shame we didn't think of anything for that last part"

The moment of silence that followed was all the thinking time I needed. For all my doubt about it's place in my life, my determination to shut it away forever, out of sight, I was suddenly more certain than ever what the next moment in it's long history would be.

"Yes we do" I said plainly, walked over to my bedside table. I opened the bottom draw, removed the several books inside, to pull out the thin silk pouch hidden right at the bottom.

With fumbling fingers I pulled loose the ties holding the sack closed, and tipped it up to hold it's contents in my hand.

The Heart of the Ocean.

A trio of gasps accompanied the jingle of the diamond chain as it landed in my palm. I held it up, allowing the deep azure diamond to glint in the summer sun pouring through the window. The look of astonishment in Molly's eyes begged the question of how the diamond of all things had survived the sinking of the Titanic, but for once, the Unsinkable Molly Brown was too stunned to speak.

"It's time this heart had a happy memory within it"

Helga's fumbling fingers fastened the necklace around my throat. I breathed out deeply as I felt it's weight hanging around my breast. A feeling that brought me immediately back to the ship where the first chapter of my new life had been written.

As I looked at myself in the mirror once more, adorned in the symbols of memories, tradition and love, I felt ready. I was ready to become Rose Dawson once and for all.

A real man may make his own luck, but when it comes to weddings, sometimes a woman needs a little help.

Specifically from something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.


	31. Chapter 31

July 24th 1912

Jack's POV

If you'd told me back at the beginning of April that in just under four months' time I'd be in Chippewa Falls, standing at the front of a church alter in a tuxedo waiting to marry the most beautiful girl in the world, I'd have said you were crazy. Wasn't that exactly why I left home in the first place? Because I didn't want to just get married and settle down like everyone else did? I hadn't seen the point in it. Up until a few months back I still didn't see the point in it.

But then I met Rose. And suddenly the ides of spending every day waking up in the same bed, in the same house, in the same town, seemed like the most amazing adventure in the world, so long as I was beside her. I wouldn't have been anywhere else in the world than standing at this alter waiting to promise to love and cherish her until death do us part.

So then why was I nervously chewing on my lip? Why couldn't I stop tapping my foot? Why was it that with every breath I felt the nerves inside me building? I always prided myself on being able to keep calm in tense situations. I could hold a face straight enough to convince my opponent I had a winning hand, even when I was a card away from losing a game of poker. Why the hell couldn't I do that now?

I turned to Fabrizio, who stood beside me. 

"Be honest, do I look like I'm waiting to be married or be executed?"

"Are you sure you want me to be honest?" he replied with a laugh.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with me? Why the heck am I so nervous?"

Fabrizio grinned.

"My friend, I would be worried if you were not nervous"

I ran a hand through my hair. I had wondered about slicking it back again as I had that night on the Titanic, but eventually had decided against it. I remembered how wrong it had felt, combed so neatly, not a hair out of place. It felt far too formal, restricted. I hadn't felt like me at all. I had brushed it out again the second we'd left First Class.

I had felt like an imposter that night. Like I was hiding inside a costume, inside a place where I didn't belong. But today was different. This was my home, these people were my friends, and this was exactly where I was supposed to be. The suit was a must on my wedding day, but at least I still felt like me.

It felt like an eternity before the church door opened, and the vicar finally entered, signalling that Rose must have arrived. I took a deep breath and swallowed down the ever-building nerves.

"You ready?" asked the vicar as he joined me at the end of the aisle.

"I hope so" I replied, only half jokingly.

The church door opened once more, and in walked the bridal party.

First the bridesmaids; Lucy, the smallest, in front, looking unusually clean and tidy in her dress, followed by Sarah and Helga side by side, their matching blonde hair braided with daisies. Each held a small bouquet of white summer flowers that matched their lavender dresses perfectly. Finally, as they reached the end of the aisle, they parted ways to the sides of the alter, and finally I was faced with the sight of my bride.

However worried or nervous I had previously felt, that all completely melted away the second I laid eyes on the beautiful woman walking slowly down the church aisle towards me. Her dress was pure ivory, and I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I recognised it as being almost identical to the dress that Rose had worn the night of the dinner on the Titanic. Save for the colour, it was the exact replica of the dress that she had worn the night that I first realised I had fallen deeply in love with her.

Most of her upper body was obscured by a lace veil, but I could make our her flame red hair flowing around her shoulders underneath. In one arm she held a similar bouquet of white flower to that of her bridesmaids, and the other was intertwined with the arm of Nathan, who looked as proud as any man would be to give away an important woman in their life.

As they finally reached the alter, a smiling Nathan gave me a quick wink as he ceremoniously released Rose's arm and took a step back from the alter to join his wife at the front pew, close to where Lucy stood beside Sarah.

I lifted the veil to reveal Rose's face. Her smile was deep and true, but in her eyes I could also see the nerves leaking through her happiness. She clearly was feeling everything I was, maybe even more. I was rather taken aback to notice that her porcelain throat was encircled by the oh-so-familiar sight of the Heart of the Ocean necklace, it's chain of tiny diamonds glinting in the light seeping through the church windows. The deep blue centre stone that held so many memories was somehow the perfect finish for Rose's look on this day. It had symbolised her trapped life in high society and her destiny to be locked in a loveless marriage. But now, by being here today, it had come to symbolise the rejection of that life, and Rose's achievement of having broken free from that world in order to stand here today and pledge herself to a new life, and a loving marriage, which was about to truly begin.

As our gazes met, we both smiled a silent hello as the vicar cleared his throat and began his speech.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God, and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honourable among all men; and therefore – is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but wholly and unreservedly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person here knows any reason why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace"

Oh there were a few people who would happily give reasons as to why we shouldn't be together, but they were all hundreds of miles, and an entire social class, away. The church was completely silent. Rose's eyes and mine never lost their gaze upon each other. After the mercifully short pause, the vicar continued.

"Through marriage, Jack and Rose make a commitment together here today, to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and above all, to love and support each other in times of both hardship and prosperity. By the exchanging of vows and the giving of rings, Jack and Rose will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together"

The end of his speech was Fabrizio's prompt to step forward with the rings.

With a smile he held open the ring box for the two of us to take the two rings we had chosen together several weeks before. Delicate, plain silver rings. They were simpler and less expensive than the many gold rings available in the shop, but that was just how we wanted them. We didn't need material wealth to prove our love for each other.

At long last, the vicar began the vows.

In a voice that mercifully failed to reflect the explosion of feelings inside me, I repeated his words:

"I, Jack Dawson, take thee, Rose DeWitt Bukator, to be my lawful wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part"

As I slid the ring onto her finger, Rose began to recite her vow in return.

"I, Rose DeWitt Bukator, take thee, Jack Dawson, to be my lawful wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in heath, to love and to cherish, til death do us part"

As she slid the ring onto my finger, the vicar finally made the long-awaited announcement.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride"

We were in each other's arms before he'd even finished speaking. After a whole day apart, to finally feel Rose, my wife, in my arms again, to feel her lips against mine, was the most amazing feeling. As the sound of applause surrounded us, our kiss deepened, our grip on each other tightened, and suddenly it was as though the entire world around us ceased to exist. There was nothing else in the world but the two of us, finally joined together for eternity.

The wedding party was held in the village green which had been decorated with flowers and banners for the occasion. As weddings usually were in town, the party was open to everyone, compared to the ceremony itself which was more personal. There were already plenty of people milling around by the time we were done at the church, whom broke out in more cheering applause as we arrived. A tent had been put up with the food, drink and cake inside. Rose hadn't told me she was going to bake the cake herself. It was amazing to think that this was her first time making one. First time or hundredth time, either way it was perfect. This task had clearly meant a lot to her, and I was so proud of her for having achieved it.

I'd say the only drawback to getting married is the seemingly unending amount of people there are to speak to afterwards. Of course they were all just happy for us, but there's only so many times you can thank someone for their congratulations without sounding too repetitive. We were also distracted, both of us peering around in search of two missing guests.

Finally, we saw them, racing down the street towards the green.

We had given Lucy, furious that Honey had been barred from the church by the vicar, the task of returning to the house as fast as she could in order to bring Honey to the party. We may not have been able to overrule the vicar, but the party was ours to dictate, and neither of us wanted to leave Honey alone and excluded after what she had selflessly done for us.

As they approached, I noticed that Honey was wearing a wreath of flowers around her neck; the same one that Lucy had spent hours creating on her first day in Chippewa Falls. She had intended for her to wear it at the church, and had nearly thrown it away in frustration until I told her Honey could still wear it at the wedding party instead. She wore it now as she bounded across the green to greet us, leaving a trail of white petals as she ran.

Finally, the party was complete.

It was then brought to our attention that we had a surprise in store for us.

Daniel Fielding, the post office manager and village telegraph operator, had become something of a photography fanatic recently. He'd recently invested a decent chunk of his savings in a proper camera, the only one of it's kind in the village. After weeks of practising, he'd finally managed to produce decent photographs, with his bathroom doubling as a darkroom. Now he asked us if he could put his newly-learned skills to the test by offering us a wedding gift in the form of photographs of the day.

To be honest his results were still rather hit and miss, but of course we accepted.

I admit that at first I hadn't seen the appeal in photography as an art. As a sketcher, I couldn't help but feel as though simply snapping an instant image of someone was taking all of the skill and fun out of capturing an image. But after weeks of seeing Daniel fumbling around with his camera outside the post office in an attempt to get a shot right, and listening to his vivid descriptions of the delicacy of developing the photographs, I finally had to admit that it did seem to require a fair amount of practice and skill. And besides, I couldn't exactly spend my wedding day sat in a corner with a sketchbook trying to capture the image of my wife in her wedding dress. Perhaps instant capture of a moment on film did have it's uses.

We stood for a formal portrait, surrounded by our friends, Lucy crouched on the grass desperately trying to keep Honey still for the camera, in front of the cluster of flowering bushes surrounding the green. Then several of just Rose and I. The process began to feel long and tedious eventually, as Daniel wanted to take several shots of each pose, "just in case", but if the outcome was a handful of snapshots of the first day of our lives as a married couple, the work was worth the memories.

At last, it was time to begin the party.

We hadn't expected there to be much music at the party, but unbeknown to us, Hannah Goldsmith, draper and proud owner of one of the town's few gramophones, had donated her machine and a stackful of records to the party. As she spread out her collection onto the table for us to choose which one would be our first dance, my eyes fell upon one in particular, and from how Rose's grip on my hand tightened, I guessed she had also set upon the same one.

It was Come Josephine, the same song we had sung on the Titanic as we walked along the deck after the steerage party, and the same song I had whispered in her ear as we soared above the ocean together. I looked across at my wife, and she turned to me with a silent agreeing smile.

This would be our first dance.

As we stepped into out onto the grass dance floor, edged by the friends that made up our family and other local well-wishers, I placed my arm around Rose's waist and drew her closer to me.

"You remember what to do?" I asked, murmuring in her ear too low for anyone to hear.

"Don't think?" she replied with a smile.

"Exactly"

And we didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice that I have referred to the priest as a "vicar". I couldn't work out which was the correct term for a man of the church in America, so I went for the Church of England name I naturally use. Also the wedding vows are mostly copied from a Yahoo answer (link below), as my several attempts to write from scratch didn't feel right, and the wording used here seems to be much better and more fitting in general.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> ./question/index?qid=20091104032942AAOs1Tu


	32. Chapter 32

Santa Monica, August 4th 1912

Rose's POV

I sighed as I gazed out of the hotel window at the street below, already busy with people going about their day beside the sea, bathed in the golden-pink sunrise glow. The sky was a soft, powder blue, without a single cloud to tarnish it's perfection. It promised to be another hot day, as had every day been since we arrived in a week ago. I couldn't believe the days had gone so fast. It felt like only yesterday that Jack and I had stepped off of the train in Santa Monica, and now here already was the day that we had to get back on it again.

I wrapped my silk dressing gown tighter around my body as I curled up on the window seat, the deep blue fabric cool against my naked skin underneath. I'd bought it yesterday from one of the many seaside stalls that littered the Santa Monica beach side. They all sold something different; one sold children's beach toys, one sold ice cream, many others sold all sorts of handmade items. I'd been particularly amazed by the stall of jewellery, handmade from sea glass. The necklaces and bracelets were beautiful, their colours glittering in the sun. I bought several of them. They cost a tiny fraction of what my jewellery from my previous life had cost, but I loved them twice as much.

The silk robe had been bought from a stall run by an old woman who prided herself on embroidering all of his wears by hand. Gowns, shawls, table cloths, everything and anything you could fashion out of a bolt of fabric, all lovingly and expertly stitched with patterns of flowers, vines, swirls and symbols. They were all so beautiful, I knew I had to buy one of them.

"The blue one" Jack suggested, holding out the blue silk. I had been unable to choose between the blue or the green. "It brings out the colour of your eyes"

The blue one it was.

I felt the warm morning sun seep through the window onto my face. I closed my eyes and savoured the feeling one last time, before we left this beautiful place where we'd made so many wonderful memories over the last week.

The fact that we were here at all was something of a surprise. Jack and I hadn't expected to go away for a honeymoon at all; what money we had we had planned to save, in preparation for when our child would be born. The both of us had been given a week off of work following our wedding but we had expected to stay close to home, and simply enjoy our time together. But at the wedding party, as the evening drew in and guests were starting to prepare to leave, we were approached by Molly Brown, who pressed an envelope into my hand, stating that it was "Just a small something"

That "small something" turned out to be a hundred dollars.

"Molly, please, it's too much!" I tried to protest, but my words were firmly rejected.

"Not at all" she said in her firm voice that was never to be argued with on pain of humiliating defeat. "These are mere pennies to me, and you two are gonna need it pretty soon, once you start building a family. Do whatever you want with it; put it away in savings, buy a new sofa, hell maybe just head off for a few days and enjoy yourselves!"

That didn't sound like such a bad idea.

As the night drew in and the party drew to a close, I realised sadly that this wonderful day was almost over. Almost.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Jack asked me softly, taking my hand in his. "Alone?"

I smiled up at him in agreement. I was so glad he offered. This entire day had been absolutely wonderful, made all the better by being surrounded by friends, five of which were sharing our now-rather-cramped house, but now, at the end of the day, I just wanted to be alone with my husband...

Somehow we managed to slip away from the party, leaving from behind the food tent, now containing merely the leftover crumbs of the cake I had made. If anyone saw us leave, they didn't acknowledge it. Maybe the understood our desire to be alone as well.

We quietly hurried through the streets, away from the noise of the party, hands clasped together and grinning at each other as we had when we'd slipped away from my First Class suite on the Titanic. The warm breeze of the summer night shielded me from any cold I could have felt in my short-sleeved dress. The streets were quiet; most people were at the wedding party. We made our way through the village and out onto one of the paths leading out to the surrounding fields.

The walk was familiar; Jack and I often went for walks through the countryside together with Honey, and the meadows around us which were lush and rich with colour this time of year, looked even more beautiful when shrouded in the purple of twilight. Jack led me by the hand into one of the fields, thick with grass which swayed in the breeze.

He turned to face me, gazing at me up and down before finally settling on my eyes.

"Sorry for dragging you away" he said softly. "I just wanted you alone to myself for a bit"

"Don't worry" I replied as I reached up a hand to stroke his face, almost unable to truly believe that all this was real. "I was thinking the exact same thing"

He smiled. That beautiful smile. I could never get enough of it. Countless times I'd wished I had been blessed with the ability to draw so that I might capture that smile on paper forever. I leaned up to kiss him, and our lips met in an embrace of soft, pure love. We stood there, locked in each other's arms as the tall grass swirled around us.

"Jack" I said when we finally broke apart. "I was thinking, about the money that Molly gave us. Maybe she's right. Maybe we could go away somewhere for a few days"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea" he agreed, shrugging off his suit jacket as we slowly sank to the ground, sitting huddled closed together on the mercifully dry ground. "Any destination in mind?"

"Well, you do still have one promise to fulfil..." I hinted.

"Ah" Jack smiled as he realised what I meant. "Indeed I do. Well, if it's cheap beer, roller coasters and beach riding you desire, so you shall have. We'll go to Santa Monica. I'll need to get a few extra days off work but that should be pretty easy to sort out. And I bet the school won't mind you missing a few more. We'll get the train tickets in the morning and head off as soon as we can"

"Finally!" I said, practically trembling with excitement. "Oh I can't wait to see it, you made it all sound so beautiful..."

"It is. Very beautiful. But nowhere near as beautiful as you"

"Oh really?" I replied playfully. "Well, I wonder what my husband would say to that"

"Hmm, I think I've got a pretty good idea" Jack replied as he began softly kissing my neck, just where it made me ticklish. I fell back into the grass as I laughed, only half-trying to struggle away from him. He finally ceased, and I stared up at him as I lay in his arms. Somewhere in the distance, a cricket chirped in the distance, the only sound to puncture the silence that surrounded this magical moment between us.

In that moment, as I lay in the twilight meadow, safe in my husband's loving embrace, I felt a hundred and one thoughts race through my mind. I thought back to the moment we'd first met, on the back of the Titanic, and how amazingly lucky I had been that he'd intervened. I remembered how I'd slowly fallen deeply in love with him, how everything, from the way he talked to me like a normal person, to the way he charmed me into embracing a life of happiness away from the hell I had previously known. I remembered the pain of having almost lost him. The thought that still gave me a pang right in the heart. I never wanted to know that feeling ever again.

"Jack" I said quietly, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. I leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Take me to the stars"

I smiled fondly at the memory as I sat at the window of the hotel in Santa Monica, the first we'd found on the night we'd arrived. We didn't care where we stayed, so long as it was clean and half-decent, and thankfully the one we'd chosen turned out to be lovely. Small but cosy. I glanced across the darkened bedroom to where Jack lay in bed, still asleep. The covers pooled around his lower back, exposing his deeply tanned skin. He suited the sun so well. The heat had turned him a wonderful shade of golden brown, whereas my own paler skin had failed to catch almost any of the sun's magic. The curse of the redheads. Our pale skin rarely has a good relationship with the sun.

I lifted up my arm and watched the silk sleeve slide upwards, exposing my arm, which was still slightly reddened from the sunburn I'd obtained on the beach several days ago.

Sunburn aside, that had been a wonderful day. It was the day we finally went riding on the beach, just as we'd discussed on the Titanic. Like a man, one leg on each side. Of course this was second nature to me now, having been riding for several months, but I still found a thrill rising inside me as I recalled how horrified my mother would have been at the sight of me.

We waited until it was nearing the end of the afternoon, when the beach was a lot less crowded. The sun hung low on the horizon, giving us a warm hazy glow to ride by. Having paid for the horses, their owner handed the reins over to us, and told us we had an hour. Mine was a beautiful mare, smaller than Thunder, and with a wonderful white and brown patched coat. She was a paint horse, Jack told me. I thought she was beautiful.

"Remember, one leg on each side!" Jack called to me as we prepared to mount.

"Of course, like a man. As if there were any other way" I grinned as I pulled myself up into the saddle. I was proud of the fact that I could ride rather well by now. Well enough to finally fulfil this long-ago wish to ride on the beach, one leg on each side.

"Ready?" Jack called from his own horse, a chestnut stallion.

I nodded with a smile.

And then we were off. We started slow at first, just walking side by side along the sand, getting used to these unfamiliar horses. But the long stretch of sunlit beach that lay ahead of us was begging for something a bit faster.

"Wanna try going a bit faster?" Jack called from beside me.

I was apprehensive. I had never gone very fast before whilst alone on a horse, only with Jack behind me.

"It's alright, you can do it" Jack reassured me, sensing my uncertainty. "You can ride like a man, now gallop like one!"

And he urged his horse onward at a faster pace, in danger of leaving me behind if I didn't get going. Oh what the hell. Let's give it a go, I thought. I urged my mare forwards in the same way, and breathed deep as she gathered speed.

I didn't realise the moment when my nerves turned to joy. But the second I relaxed into the rhythm of the horse's gallop, I realised what an amazing feeling this was. I caught up to Jack, who smiled proudly at me as we galloped in the sunset-bathed surf together, the horses' feet splashing beneath us. It was everything I had dreamed it would be. I thanked the heavens for having allowed this moment that had been a mere un-achievable fantasy on the Titanic to come true.

As wonderful as it was to ride in the surf, that was the closest that Jack and I got to the sea on this trip. The sea was absolutely beautiful; glistening white-and-blue in the daytime, glowing a deep shade of moon-lit purple in the evenings, and turning deep gold in the early morning sunrise. But it was a beauty that we were happy to view, but not to touch. I hadn't realised how much I had been affected by the sinking of the Titanic. Living so far inland with only a lake of water meant that I hadn't seen the sea since we'd docked in New York in April. But the moment I laid eyes on the vast water on our first day in Santa Monica, I felt something deep in my stomach, a knotted pain that told me not to go near it. I still associated the ocean with danger, and quite rightly so, considering I had watched and heard it claim fifteen hundred lives before me.

I had kept my feelings to myself at first. But on the morning of our first real day here, I confessed to Jack that I'd rather not go into the sea. I didn't have to explain why. The look in his eyes told me he understood. And that he agreed.

"I'm sorry, it's just... too much" I sighed.

"I know" Jack put his arms around me. "I don't want to get too close to it either"

And for most of the holiday, we didn't.

Thankfully for us, there was so much to enjoy on dry land in Santa Monica. I was particularly thrilled by the many bars that were situated along the seafront. We went into many of them over the course on the trip, in search of the promised cheap beer. Indeed it was cheap. But wow did it taste better than champagne. I actually happen to dislike champagne. I find it far too bitter. This was much more easier to swallow. And we ended up swallowing quite a lot of it. Just another item on my ever-growing list of scenarios that would give my mother a heart attack.

It was after drinking a bit too much beer that we finally ventured onto the roller coaster. God I was nervous the first time round. Everything about this enormous wooden contraption, with it's speed and what looked like flimsy rails, screamed danger.

"Come on, you can't chicken out now" Jack pulled me by the arm onto the ride despite my nerves.

"But what if it beaks?" I asked, looking down at the tracks.

"It won't" said Jack, putting his arm around me. "Don't worry, just relax and enjoy the ride"

God when that ride started I was a nervous wreck. But oh God, how wonderful it was! Impossibly fast, terrifying yet thrilling! I clung to Jack as I screamed my way through the ride, and when it finally came to a halt, I was a shuddering wreck, my head spinning from the ride and the beer, bent over with laughter.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" said Jack, as he helped me up onto my shaking legs.

"That was... Oh God, that was..." I sighed as I we walked, leaning heavily against Jack.

I never did get to finish my sentence. Overcome with a sudden fresh wave of dizziness, I leaned over the platform of the roller coaster and threw up. Ride the roller coaster until we throw up. Check.

It was wonderful to think back on all the happy days we'd had here. Even if I wished we could have had a few more of them, I was glad we'd had these few at least. I did slightly regret the fact that neither of us had ventured into the sea on this trip. Neither of us were ready to return to the water yet, but that didn't mean that I didn't wash I was. Still, I was proud of myself for being brave enough to venture onto the pier.

At first I had refused that too. On our first day Jack had offered to take me onto the pier, to show me the stalls along the vast wooden platform, but I found that when I thought about standing on that pier, with the sea sloshing beneath me, I got the same painful knot in my stomach as I did when I thought of going into the sea itself.

"I'm sorry, I just can't. It's like... it would feel as though I'm back on those decks again... with the sea all around me..."

I shuddered slightly.

Jack's arm was around me instantly, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.

"It's alright. We don't have to if you don't want to"

But on our last day, I finally decided to bite the bullet. I had achieved so many wishes on this trip; ridden a horse in the surf, ridden the roller coaster, sampled the wonders of cheap beer. Going into the sea itself was too much, but I decided to try and be brave enough to at least stand above it for a while.

"You ready?" Jack asked, gripping my hand tightly as we stood at the top of the pier, about to step out over the sea.

I nodded firmly.

"Yes. I can do this"

And with a deep breath, we walked forward onto the wooden planks. Slowly and steadily. Jack never let go of my hand once.

It was hard at first. I was silent, focusing on keeping my breathing as steady as possible. I looked straight down at the wooden floor, focusing on my footsteps. When I finally took a look up around me, I saw that we had walked far enough out to be surrounded by just the sea in almost every direction. It did indeed feel like being back on the ship, by the railings on the deck.

It was less than half a mile, but by the time we reached the end of the deck, I felt as though I had crossed an entire desert.

"You did it" said Jack, smiling proudly at me. "You made it to the end"

Indeed I had. The end of the pier itself was quiet; it was getting on into the evening, and most people had packed up their deckchairs and umbrellas to head off in search of dinner. Save for a few anglers with their rods poised over the railings in search of their own dinner, we were almost alone.

"This feels so surreal" I breathed, taking in the sea view as the breeze whisked my hair around me wildly.

"I know, it feels pretty strange" Jack agreed. "I know it'll take time, but the ship won't haunt us forever. One day it'll just be a bad memory, nothing more"

"I know" I replied, leaning into him as I gazed at the glittering sea below. "It's just all so raw right now"

As I sat by the window staring out at the pier in the distance, I could scarcely believe I had been to the end of that vast structure, way out onto the ocean. It had been daunting, but I was so glad I had found the guts to do it. Conquering that pier had felt like climbing a mountain, but reaching the top had relieved something of a weight from my chest. As though I had laid an dark memory to rest.

I may not have been ready to defeat my newfound fear of the ocean entirely, but I had certainly made a good start. And as long as I had Jack by my side, I knew I would conquer it once and for all, one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations, you made it to the end of this really rather rabbly chapter xD
> 
> To anyone who noticed that Rose has been drinking beer whilst pregnant: I had realised this problem myself halfway through planning the chapter, and having consulted several contempory Edwardian pregnancy advice sources, have discovered that alcohol was not thought to be as particularly damaging to fetuses as it is today. Also the fact that such cheaply brewed beer of the time would have been very weak, probably aroun 2%.
> 
> Just be glad I didn't have Rose following any of the "advice" I read in these books. One of them recommended smoking during pregnancy, as tobacco "speeds up the baby's heartbeat and encourages a sturdy development". Another suggested eating as little as possible so as not to "overwhelm the baby with too rich a diet".
> 
> And they wondered why they had such a high infant mortality rate.
> 
> I would also like to mention that on December 14th, Bernard Fox, who played Colonal Archibald Gracie in Titanic, died of heart failure. May he rest in peace.


	33. Chapter 33

August 11th 1912

Jack's POV

I'd definitely say I was more of a summer person than a winter person. The colder months brought with it its own unique beauty; endless fields of snow, icicles dripping from window ledges, plants encrusted with sparkling frost. But the biting cold of the winter in Wisconsin could make it hard to appreciate the beauty of the frozen world around us. And after nearly freezing to death in the Atlantic ocean, I wasn't looking forward to feeling the sharp, icy wind that could be cold to the point of pain any time soon. I was pretty sure Rose felt the same.

So we made the most of the summer while we had it. We savoured the warmth of the sun on our skin, the long evenings bathed in the soft hazy sun, and the happiness that the sun's rays shone onto the village. The people of Chippewa Falls basked in the safety of the summer, with it's warm nights, plentiful crop production and lack of illness. The struggles that the darkness of winter brought were still far away in August.

August also brought with it my birthday. A birthday in August was a lucky occasion for several reasons. As a child, a summer birthday meant there was so much more to do to enjoy the day than in the bleak cold of winter. But the second reason was a darker one. I remember my mother once telling me when I was about eleven how relieved she'd been that I'd been born in the summer. She hadn't needed to explain. Children born in summer always stood a better chance.

My birthday that year happened to fall on a Sunday, which meant no work, and a whole day to enjoy with my beautiful wife, whom I still occasionally had trouble believing was truly married to me. That morning, like every morning when I was lucky enough to wake up before her, I would spend a few minute just enjoying everything about her; the way her hair flawlessly tumbled over the pillow in crimson waves, the way the morning sun glowed on her porcelain skin, the peaceful smile that graced her beautiful face.

I stroked my hand down the side of Rose's body to rest it on top of the small but now-obvious swell of her middle, where our unborn child lay. Despite the evidence now being very much obvious, I still sometimes found it hard to believe that all this was real. I thought back to this day a year ago, when I turned twenty. It was an unseasonably rainy day in Paris, which passed pretty much the same as any other at that time. Attempting to scrounge together enough coins through selling sketches to pay for a decent meal, whilst dodging the rain by hiding under bridges - just about the only form of shelter that didn't require a purchase to use.

It had been under one such bridge, a few days after my birthday, that I'd first met Fabrizio. He'd been working his way north from Italy for a few weeks now, in the hope of making it to anywhere with a ship to America. As an Italian with basic English and no French, he had been a bit down on his luck work-wise, and so was sleeping rough like me. I'd had a pretty lucky day and had managed to make enough money to buy some decent quality bread and cheese, and something about the sight of this miserable guy who looked about the same age as me had made me take pity on him. I offered to share my meagre dinner with him, and that was the icebreaker that kickstarted both our partnership in the fight to survive, and our friendship.

A year later, and here we were. Successfully arrived in America, both married, and me with a child on the way. It's amazing how much can change in just the space of a year.

With the weather that day being yet again gloriously sunny, Rose and I decided to spend it down by the lake. And so it seemed had half of Chippewa Falls. Thankfully, the lake edge was long enough for us to find a quiet spot by the edge of the neighbouring trees, away from the many people who decided to cool off with a swim. We set about laying out the picnic, with Honey sniffing curiously around the water edge close by.

I noticed a familiar look on Rose's face as she stared across the lake at the children splashing around in the water while we laid out the picnic blanket on the grass. It was the same look she'd had when she'd been confronted with the sea in Santa Monica for the first time since April. A look that was haunted by dark memories.

"Hey" I called to distract her. "So since we've already established that you know what ice fishing is, can I assume you're aware of how regular fishing works?"

Her rosy lips curved into a smile.

"Yes of course I know how fishing works" she shot back, feigning annoyance.

"Ah, but have you actually done it before?"

"No" she admitted. "My sort never seemed to find the point in fishing for fun when you can have servants present it to you ready-cooked"

"Well how about today I show you how?"

Rose looked puzzled.

"Surely we don't have the equipment?"

"Sure we do. I bought some cable and hooks a few days ago from the tackle shop, so all we need to do is find a couple of branches long enough for rods"

As we emptied the basket of food onto the rug, I pulled out the spool of cable and hooks I'd added in there, as well as a small tin, which I couldn't help grinning as I told Rose what was inside.

"Worms"

Her face twisted in disgusted grimace.

"Well you're not gonna catch many fish without any bait, are you?"

She breathed deeply, her eyes fixing me with a stern look.

"I'll attempt to overlook the fact that you put that tin in the same basket as my pride and joy"

She was referring to her first successful attempt at homemade strawberry pie, which she'd been determined to perfect in time for my birthday, after I mentioned that it was my favourite dessert a few weeks back. Okay, maybe not my best idea.

It didn't take long to find two branches that would make perfect rods. After showing Rose how to wrap the cable around the end and attach the hooks, she reluctantly but successfully speared a worm onto the hook, and successfully launched the hook far out into the lake.

"Perfect" I said as her hook landed neatly into the water, a few metres away from my own. "You're a natural"

Rose smiled proudly. I never failed to feel a rush of love for her whenever she accomplished something new. She had so much potential and ability locked away inside her; I dreaded to think about what she would have done if she hadn't broken free from the restraints of her old life…

After driving the rods into the ground to keep them upright while they awaited their prey, Rose and I sat ourselves down by the water's edge to start on the food. After splitting the sandwiches and lemonade, Rose finally reached for the strawberry pie, which she placed in front of me proudly.

"Happy birthday, Jack" she said with a smile, leaning over to kiss me.

"With you here, it most definitely is" I replied, forcing myself to pull away before the kiss became too deep.

Rose nibbled her lip as I cut away two slices of the pie. She didn't touch the slice that I pushed towards her, but stared as I took the first bite of mine.

"How is it?" she asked anxiously.

The sweetness of the strawberries exploded over my tongue, mingled with the perfectly flaky pastry of the pie.

"Fit for royalty" I replied without a hint of exaggeration.

Relief washed over Rose's face as she finally allowed herself to start on her own slice.

"God I was so worried. The last two attempts came out all soggy and bland"

"Third time's the charm I guess. Still, for someone who barely cooked in her life, you sure are a natural at it"

Rose seemed to bask in my praise as much as she basked in the sunlight.

"So, can I give you your present now?" Rose asked, reaching into the separate bag she had brought with her without waiting for an answer. She handed me a slim, rectangular package, neatly tied in brown paper and string, clearly still wrapped from wherever she had bought it from.

As I undid the wrapping, I felt the scaly-soft touch of leather under my fingertips. The paper gave way to reveal a beautiful, deep red leather sketchbook underneath, with brass metal corners. I silently opened it to reveal thick pages of high quality soft beige paper. I ran my fingertips across the page - feeling the slight bump of the paper, it's empty void just begging to be filled with the etched lines of a drawing.

"It's beautiful" I breathed.

"Turn it over" said Rose, and I did so. At the bottom of the back cover, etched into the leather in gold lettering, was the phrase, "A picture says a thousand words".

"I thought it would be nice for you to have for, you know, more formal drawings" said Rose. "Maybe stop your talent being crumpled on those sketches you keep leaving loose all over the place"

She had a point. Now that I was drawing for work as well as for myself, I had collected many low-quality sketchbooks which I meant to use just for rough sketches, but which always ended up having proper portraits and personal drawings scrawled in as well. The leather folder Rose had given me a few months back was where I meant to keep my complete personal drawings, but considering how often I ended up being inspired whilst on the omnibus to and from work, such drawings usually ended up being sketched on loose pieces of paper which would end up being folded into my jacket pockets, or left loose inside my work sketchbooks. It wasn't the first time that I'd even lost some due to careless keeping.

"I tried to get it the same size as your other sketchbooks, so you can carry it easily" Rose explained. "So you can use that instead of loose papers for your own sketches. To keep them safe. They're too precious to be crumpled and lost. Do you like it?"

"Rose, I love it" I breathed, flicking through the sheets of paper. "It's perfect… And more, I just can't think of what else to say"

"I can" Rose said with a smile that silently said she was pleased I was so happy.

She reached for the remainder of the pie beside her.

"More pie?" she asked with a giggle.

"Spot on" I agreed with a matching grin.

Two slices of pie later, we were both pretty full. Combined with the heat, I began to feel a little drowsy. We stretched out lazily on the grass, bathing in the warmth of the sun. Rose sleepily lay her head on my lap, closing her eyes and sighing happily in contentment. The screams and splashes of the children across the lake edge were far off echoes, and from our secluded spot, only the light ripple of the water mingled with the gentle rustle of the trees broke the silence around us.

"I could stay like this forever" Rose breathed with a smile as she leaned into the stroke of my hand through her hair. "Not a care in the world…"

It was as though by confirming her happiness out loud, she'd cursed it to break. Just moments later, her relaxed smile furrowed into a look of concern.

"Wait… she murmured, squinting her eyes open as she sat up. "Where's Honey?"

Damn. We'd both been so happy amongst ourselves that we'd both clean lost sight of her! We both glanced around us, searching for a flash of gold fur.

"Honey!" Rose called, a slight franticness beginning to rise in her voice.

Suddenly, a frantic splashing noise approached us, getting closer. I turned towards the sound at the curve of the lake to see our dog gliding through the lake towards us from a few metres out , with what looked like half a log in her mouth.

"Oh my God, get her out of there!" Rose screamed in panic. "Honey, come back here now! Jack, please, get her out of that water!"

Given how far out Honey was, there was no way I could physically grab her without jumping in myself, and that certainly wasn't something I felt able to do, especially when our water dog looked perfectly comfortable paddling along.

"Rose" I placed my arm around her comfortingly, attempting to soothe her heavy, panicked breaths. "Rose, she's fine, look at her"

"She is not fine!" Rose shouted, breaking away from my grasp, her voice crazed with fear. "The water isn't safe! Please just get her out!"

"Rose, no" I said, calmly but firmly, holding her tight against me. "Look at her, she's absolutely fine. She's a Labrador, she's built for the water. You can't keep her away from it. She's swimming absolutely fine. Look, she's almost here now"

True enough, seconds later Honey scrambled out from the water from the edge in front of us, and came bounding over excitedly to show off her catch, shaking her sopping wet coat all over us.

Shocked from the unexpected shower, Rose finally seemed to snap out of her panicked fear. I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back as her breathing slowed and steadied at last.

"I'm sorry" she breathed into my chest. "It's just… The water… I couldn't bare to see her in there. Not after…"

"I know" I whispered to her comfortingly. "I know it's hard. I know you don't want to go into the water after what happened. And honestly, I don't either. But you can't keep Honey away from it. She's a water dog, she needs to swim. And we can't let our own fears hold her back"

"I know" Rose replied, bringing her face away from my chest to give me a weak smile. "I can see that now. I just... panicked"

"I know" I said. "It was never going to be easy, getting over what happened. Like I said in Santa Monica, it'll take time, but one day, without us even realising, it'll all be just a bad memory. One we'll get over together. Okay?"

Rose closed her eyes and nodded. I placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

A slight movement from the corner of my eye made me glance over at the water's edge.

"Hey" I said to Rose. "I think you might have had a stroke of luck"

Rose followed my gaze over to the fishing rods, where her own had developed a distinct pull on the cable.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked again, this time in excitement as she ran over to the rods.

"That's it, come on, pull it in!" I urged her as she hauled the rod out of the water.

Like a treasure rising from the deep, she hoisted out her line to reveal a beautifully fat trout.

"Well that's dinner sorted" I laughed as Rose dragged her prize onto dry land, where it flopped along on the grass as Honey pounced around it, whining uncertainly.

"Congratulations, your first catch" I smiled at my wife as she laughed with joy at her achievement.

"Well thank you, but it's not my first catch" she said with a cheeky twinkle in her eye. "That title goes to you"

"Oh really?" I replied, pulling my giggling wife into my arms.

"Yes really" she replied, leaning up to kiss me again.

The burning sun was still high in the sky, and the day was far from done. And no doubt my birthday fun was far from over.


	34. Chapter 34

Autumn 1912

Rose's POV

The warm summer haze faded to the deep richly-coloured autumn slowly and steadily. One by one the deep emerald leaves faded to golden brown and fluttered to the ground, carpeting the ground below until they were swept up into mountains by the roadside. Autumn was a wonderful time of new experiences for me. The local traditions of crop harvests, bonfires and apple cider were alien to my old world of Philadelphia society. Having lived in Chippewa Falls for all these months, that world was drifting further and further away in my mind. The longer I lived in freedom, I began to wonder how I had managed to put up with the caged existence of high society for so long.

When the time for the harvest came, the village school closed for several weeks so the children could help with the work. It was wonderful to see how much they enjoyed their tasks of digging up potatoes and being sent up the apple trees to find the highest fruits. On his days off, Jack joined a few of the other men on Jim Clarkson's farm to help with his harvest and hay-making.

"Harvest is one of the biggest community times" he explained to me. "The more people that help, the more food we'll harvest and store before it goes bad"

I did attempt to help with the work at first, but was quickly stopped by both Jack and Jim.

"You think I could live with myself watching a pregnant young woman slaving away in my fields?" said Jim, sounding downright offended by the thought.

I rested a hand over my now modest but prominently-swollen bump. Perhaps he was right.

As the autumn wore on, it's cool winds grew colder and sharper, and it's bright colours faded to icy greys, I slowly began to feel more and more incapable. By the end of November, I was seven months pregnant, and was plagued with back pains constantly. I'd had to stop work at the school just after the harvest ended. I sorely missed the work. Despite my earlier insecurities, I enjoyed teaching. I enjoyed planning the lessons and the researching, which was just another excuse to indulge my love of reading history books.

These tasks had left an empty hole in my day. But as the weather grew steadily colder, and my aches and pains grew stronger, even I had to admit that it was time to take it easy. And staring out the window at the dark and damp winter mornings did make me thankful that I could stay inside away from the winter air. I only wished that Jack could have that same luxury. He still had to brave the cold every morning to get to work and back. One of the few things I felt I could do to help was to make sure I had a hot dinner ready for him when he arrived home, nose and ears tinged red from the cold, though he bitterly protested.

"I keep telling you, I can just make something when I get home" he tried to persuade me for what felt like the hundredth time. "I don't want you to be on your feet all day, you're supposed to be resting"

"Jack this is the one excuse I have to get to my feet all day!" I retorted as I served up the chicken and vegetable stew. "It's just about the only thing I can manage to do right now, so I'd rather enjoy it"

I gasped as I felt a sudden sharp movement from inside me.

"What is it?" Jack asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Nothing" I replied, resting a hand over my swollen stomach which seemed to grow bigger by the day. "Whoever's in here seems to want to make themselves known today. Here, feel"

I took his hand and guided it to rest over the bump, just as the baby launched another kick.

"God, you're right" Jack laughed with a grin. "He or she feels pretty strong"

"Which would you prefer, a boy or a girl?"

"I don't care. As long as it's healthy, I'm happy"

I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Sorry, I just suddenly thought how different things would have been if... if I was still living with them. I'd have been expected to produce a boy. An heir. Girls were always a second choice. We were just ornaments to be married off"

"Well not here" said Jack firmly, putting his arm around me, his other hand still rested on my bump. "Nothing at all matters about whether it's a boy, a girl, tall, short, red hair, blonde hair, green hair for all I care. What matters is that it will be loved"

Sex, hair colour, eye colour, personality, name... These were all questions I had had too much free time to ask myself over the last weeks, but the time was creeping slowly closer to finally uncovering the answers...

Christmas 1912

Our first Christmas together was a cold one. Oh so cold. I had been told that Chippewa Falls had some of the coldest winters around, and I had not been disappointed. Nevertheless, the thick blanket of slow that carpeted the fields and hung from the bare tree branches did look lovely. Especially when seen from safely inside a nice warm house in front of a fire.

Preparing for Christmas had brought a welcome distraction from the biting cold, and the memories it brought. We had relished the long, warm summer for so long, but now forced to feel the cold once again, memories of the Atlantic returned all too vividly. The first time I reached down to take a handful of snow, the cold sunk into my fingertips, painfully cold, like a thousand hot knives, and I trembled not from the cold, but from the memories of the last time I had felt such cold.

It was hard, adjusting to the cold. I had expected it to be. But the relief from the warmth of Christmas soothed me, from the first weekend of December, when Jack went into town without telling me why, and came back with a Christmas tree from the market and a box of ornaments. The brightly-decorated tree sat in the corner of the living room like a shining beacon of hope, always reminding us that the brighter and warmer days would return eventually, and that there was still happiness to be found in the depth of winter. And it only shone brighter with the new ornaments we decorated it with, after Honey excitedly pulled down the tree and broke the first lot.

Christmas Eve unfortunately fell on a Tuesday, which meant that Jack had to go to work, although it was only a half day, at least. Not wanting to spend the day alone, I ventured, slowly on the icy paths, down to the village to visit Sarah. I missed her company at the school as much as I missed the work, and I tried to visit on the few occasions that she was free from her now-extra workload.

That Christmas Eve, Dr. Anderson, who'd also given himself a half day, used my visit to his wife as an excuse to give me and my seemingly never-ending bump a check up. So much for off-duty.

"Well, everything seems to be progressing just fine" he said with a smile, putting away his stethoscope. "I can't see any reason to suggest there isn't a healthy baby in there, and there certainly is a big one in there, I think"

"You don't have to tell me that" I laughed. "God I just want it out at this point. To finally meet my baby and be free from back aches"

The doctor smiled.

"Not much longer to go now, Rose. You'll meet your baby soon"

"And when you do", came Sarah's voice as she pushed open the door of her husband's consulting room with her hip, a large wicker basket in her arms. "I think you may find a use for these"

She placed the basket on the table beside me, and I looked inside to find it full of homemade baby clothes. Light cotton garments and thick knitted winter woolens.

"Oh Sarah!" I gasped in surprise. "Did you make all these?"

"Of course I did" she said with a smile. "I know you've been practicing your needlework but I thought I'd give you a head start, what with the time of year"

Sarah had been downright shocked when a couple of months ago, she'd questioned me over baby clothes and I said I supposed I would buy them.

"You can't be spending that much money on clothes the baby will grow out of in weeks!" she exclaimed.

"Well I don't really know what else to do" I sighed hopelessly. "That's what was done where I come from, we bought everything we needed.

"Well that's not what we do here. You'll be bankrupt before the baby's first birthday if you buy everything ready-made. Now tell me, can you sew?"

"Not very well" I confessed with a murmur.

"Don't worry, Rose, teaching is what I do best, after all" my friend said determinedly.

And she started that same day, teaching me the basics of clothes-making that my own very-expensive governesses and tutors hadn't deemed worth teaching me. In fairness, I could now make simple garments myself, but I had hopelessly worried that I wouldn't learn fast enough for when the baby was born. The sight of that basket of baby clothes was such a touching gesture that I felt tears come to my eyes.

"Thank you so much, Sarah, they're absolutely lovely" I choked out with a smile.

"It was nothing" Sarah brushed it aside, but gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Call it an early Christmas present"

There would be plenty more time for present giving with Sarah and Peter the next day. Jack and I were having dinner and spending the afternoon of Christmas Day with them. But the morning would be all ours...

The snow fell thick and fast outside our bedroom window on Christmas morning. The outside temperature was freezing cold, though in in the toasty warmth of each other's embrace under the thick bedcovers, we were shielded from any thought of cold. There I lay, my body curled into Jack's as much as my swollen middle would allow, his arms holding me in a protective hug, one around my shoulders, one across my stomach. We laid together this way so often, but today it felt special. Today was Christmas.

"You know, as wonderful as this is, don't you think it's time we got up and started the day?" Jack murmured into my hair.

"Not really" I sighed, leaning in closer to him. "This feels too perfect to want to ever get up"

"True enough. But then, if we never got up, you'd never know what your present is..."

"Oh really?" I lifted my head to smile up at him playfully. "So it's something even worth getting out of bed for?"

"Well, I can't be sure, but if I were a betting man, and I wouldn't have had the joy of meeting you if I weren't, I'd put my money on it being something you'd really rather love"

"Well now, that sounds like it's worth an investigation" I sat up in bed, a childish excitement suddenly overtaking me. It had been so long since I'd been excited at Christmas. The stiff social parties and endless stream of overpriced, meaningless gifts had dulled my holiday spirit over the years. Now, in my new, happy life, my inner child came alive again.

We quickly dressed and made our way downstairs, where Honey had long-since emerged from her new self-proclaimed bed on the rub in from of the fire. She leaped around at my feet excitedly as always, tail lashing. Jack grabbed her before she could jump up at me properly and hauled her over to the direction of the front door. Once opened for her, she took a running leap out into the snow, jumping about the frozen ground with the grace of a golden gazelle. I could never understand how she could have so much energy first thing in the morning.

"Now, I believe you'll be needing this" said Jack, handing me my coat from the stand by the door.

"What on Earth for?" I asked. I was puzzled, but allowed him to help me into it nonetheless.

"Your present, of course" he replied, shrugging on his own coat.

"But-" I glanced over at the Christmas tree, with it's very few but lovingly-wrapped parcels.

"Not all presents can fit under trees I'm afraid. Come on"

Confused, I let him lead me outside, down the front steps into the snow below, where Honey still tore around in ecstatic circles. He led me around the side of the house, to the stable, my wonder and puzzlement only ever growing.

We entered the stable, and I felt the warm, hay-scented air tingle my frozen face. I looked around, and there were the piles of hay and straw as usual, Thunder in his stall, peacefully working on his breakfast. And there next to him, was the second stall, which before had been empty. But to my amazement, it was now occupied by a beautiful horse. A skewbald; it's white body beautifully patched with deep red-brown patches, with a flowing white mane and tail.

"Oh my God..." I breathed in amazement, blinking hard as though the creature before me would disappear any moment. "Is it... mine?"

"Sure is" Jack replied, smiling at me, seeming slightly nervous. "What do you think? Do you like her?"

"Her..." I breathed again, stepping towards the stall. The mare's head turned to face me, curiosity twinkling in her sky-blue eyes. I reached out a hand slowly to her, and she flinched a little, but allowed me to slowly lay my palm on her soft, warm nose. "Jack, she's beautiful... She's amazing"

"Well that's a relief, I wasn't sure how I was going to get her back to Iowa if you didn't" Jack chuckled, and I turned to him curiously.

"Iowa?" I asked.

"Yeah. She used to belong to a friend of Jim Clarkson's. He owns a farm somewhere over there. I mentioned that I was hoping to get you a horse of your own, since you can ride so well now, and Jim mentioned he had a friend who was selling several. He had a letter with a few details about them sent over, colours and experience and stuff, so I chose her based on that and Jim arranged for the guy to bring her over a few days ago. She's been hiding over on his farm since yesterday"

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah. I guess now would be a good time to confess that I didn't actually have to go to work at all yesterday... I told you it was half day so I'd have an excuse to be away from you, and Sarah came up with the idea of hiding you away at her place while I brought the horse over"

So Sarah had been in on this as well! I felt happiness swell inside me the more I thought about the trouble Jack had gone to to bring me this amazing present. I stroked my hand along the side of her neck, the softness of her beautiful patchwork coat tingling my fingertips.

"She's so beautiful..."I breathed again, still not quite believing that she was truly mine. "I can't think of what else to say, she's just perfect"

"Any thoughts on a name for her?"

I wondered. She needed a name befitting her beauty, her uniqueness, her majesty...

"Rialta" I said after a minute's considering. The name rolled over my tongue, the sound of its letters matching perfectly with the sight of the horse before me.

"Interesting" said Jack. "Can't say I've heard that name before"

"It has a pretty historic name" I explained, combing my fingers through Rialta's mane. "It was an alias used by a woman involved in a plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I, and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The plot failed, but reading the story, I thought how brave that woman must have been, and the name had been in my mind ever since. I think it's beautiful"

"It certainly is" Jack agreed. "I'm only sorry you had to meet her when you have to wait a while to ride her"

With the size of my ever-growing stomach and my numerous aches and pains, I hadn't been able to ride for almost a month already. It did ache knowing that I would have to wait a little longer before I could ride Rialta for the first time, but at least it would give us time to get to know each other better first.

"Thank you so much, Jack" I leaned into him for a hug, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. "She's the best present I've ever had"

"If she makes you happy, that makes me happy" Jack replied, capturing my lips in a sweet, loving kiss.

Our kiss deepened, fuelled by our passionate love for one another. The stable around us disappeared, the whistle of the winter wind through the door fell on deaf ears, the gentle breaths of the horses went unnoticed. The longer the kiss lasted, the more of him I wanted. I moaned in longing. It had been so long.

"Not much longer" Jack whispered in my ear as he placed a soft kiss onto my neck.

Not much longer. Not much longer before our baby would be born, and we would be a proper family at last. This would be our only Christmas alone together. This time next year we would be sharing it with our child. But that was another time to come, a future to look forward to. For now, we were as happy as we could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the interests of historical accuracy, I did think about adding in a section regarding the US inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic. Unfortunately the inquiry findings were published on 28th May 1912, much sooner than I'd expected and the story had already gone past that point by then."Well that ship has sailed" I said to myself and proceeded to laugh for about three hours.


	35. Chapter 35

January 13th 1913

Rose's POV

A wild mid-winter blizzard raged outside the window, the specks of snow whirling in twisting patterns against the evening sky. It was Monday evening, and it had been snowing for almost two days straight. Jack had spent most of the weekend shovelling the ever-falling snow out of the pathway, and had arrived home late from work because so many like him had failed to keep the paths in and out of town clear.

Now finally home, he was, like most evenings, sat at the kitchen table surrounded by sketch paper, either working on drawings for work, or just sketching whatever came into his mind. More often than not, it was the latter. But tonight's drawing was for work. I could always tell. When sketching something or someone he truly cared about, he would be slightly hunched over the table, his left arm steadying the paper, his brow furrowed with concentration. Work sketches were usually drawn with a wearier look, shoulders slouched, elbow on the table, his forehead resting in the palm of his hand. Personal sketches would never be given such sloppiness. Some nights I could happily just sit and watch him work.

But not tonight. Tonight I rather wanted to finish the book I'd been working since Sarah had brought it over to me several days ago, after I'd begged her for new reading material from the library. I shifted my position on the sofa yet again, fighting a losing battle to find a comfortable reading position. With a stomach the size of a beach ball, nothing felt comfortable enough for long. The baby could arrive any day now, and I couldn't wait for this pregnancy to be over. I wanted my child in my arms, and my middle back to it's usual size. Today had been particularly painful. As well as the usual aches, I'd also had what felt like painful cramps on and off. They had been bothering me all day, and just the effort of being in such discomfort had tired me quicker than usual. Closing my book and tossing it onto the side of the sofa in defeat, I heaved myself to my feat.

"I'm going to bed" I called to Jack as I headed to the stairs.

"Alright" he called back absent-mindedly, not looking up from his work. It was nine - still relatively early, but I was just so drained, all I could think about was lying down.

At the sound of my footsteps on the floorboards, Honey got to her feet and joined me, following close behind as I climbed the stairs, one heavy step at a time. By the time I made it up to the bedroom, my limbs each felt like a tonne of bricks. I breathed heavily as I felt my heart pounding in my head. I was so tired. I felt another cramp coming on, and as I cringed in pain, Honey let out a low growl, her ears pinned back in concern. I'm sure she could tell something was wrong.

I yelped in pain as I felt something shift inside me, and then I heard a splash. Honey leaped back in surprise with a yelp as the liquid fell from under my skirt. I leaned forward, supporting myself on the edge of the bed as I cried out in shock and pain. My waters had broken. This was it. The baby was coming.

I don't know which he heard first; my cries of pain or Honey's panicked barking as she realised something was definitely wrong, but within moment Jack had thundered up the stairs to my side.

"Rose, what is it? What's wrong?" he put his arm around me, coaxing me to lean against him.

"It's the baby" I moaned through gasped breaths, clutching him hard. "I think it's coming!"

It was then that Jack noticed the wet patch on the floor where my waters had broken. The colour drained from his face and his eyes widened.

"Oh God" he choked out. In spite of the pain ripping through me, I couldn't help but let out a gasped laugh. Jack clearly had no idea what to do now. How many men do in childbirth?

"You need to get the doctor" I breathed my words hard through the pain.

"I can't leave you like this!" Jack protested, though clearly he must have known that he couldn't take care of me by himself. Not now.

"You have to. Go, quick. We'll be fine"

I reached out my hand to Honey who stood close by, clearly confused and uncertain by what was going on, but she eagerly strode forward to lick and nuzzle my offered hand. She had defended me before, and I knew she would stay with me now.

"Alright" Jack finally relented. He helped me onto the bed, arranging the pillows for me to lean against as comfortably as possible.

"I'll be as quick as I can, I promise" he said.

"I know you will. I love you"

"I love you too" Jack looked me in the eyes as he spoke, then placed a kiss on my forehead before he left, in what sounded like barely five strides from the bedroom to the front door, the wind of the blizzard howling through the door before it was slammed shut. Had he even stopped to get his coat?

Another wave of pain shot through me, in what I now realised must be a contraction. I cried out again. It felt unbearable. And yet I'd have to bare it.

I felt a cold wet nose nuzzle underneath my hand as Honey joined me at my side, her bright chestnut eyes shining with worry. She whined lowly.

"It's alright" I smiled through the pain, running my fingers through her fur. "I'm only having a baby"

I was so relieved to hear the sound of an engine from outside. Dr. Anderson had recently joined the very few number of people in Chippewa Falls who owned a motor car. He'd called it a wise investment, enabling him to reach patients much faster, and bring more supplies and equipment with him.

"-a bloody miracle she managed to get us here through this blizzard" his voice echoed from downstairs.

The sound of frantic footsteps approached, and within moments Jack was at my side again.

"Are you alright?" he asked, frantically looking me up and down for any sign of change.

"I'm fine" I replied, pressing a breathless kiss to his lips. He felt ice-cold, and I felt a shudder run down my spine.

"Well you've picked a good day for it, Rose" the doctor joked as he walked in, setting his work bag down on the chair in the corner, flecks of snow falling off of his shoulders.

"Really, Rose, could you not have waited until this storm blew over?"

Sarah followed close behind, unwrapping her shawl and helping her husband out of his coat.

I smiled in spite of my pain.

"Sarah! I wasn't expecting you here" I choked out through hard breaths.

"Well I wasn't going to miss this, now was I? You'll need support through this, Rose. Of course that would usually come from your mother, but under the circumstances, you'll have to make do with me"

Sarah had seen her fair share of births. As the doctor's wife, she often took on a supporting role in his work, and if that happened to be helping women through childbirth, then she'd be there through it all. Her sense of duty to be with me in my time of need touched me. But I barely had the energy to explain that I already had exactly who I wanted the most.

"Right, first thing's first" Peter said briskly as he approached, but was cut off by a sharp bark and warning growl from Honey. He jumped slightly, stopping in his tracks. Peter had never been amazingly comfortable around dogs, he'd told us. He prefered cats.

"Sorry" said Jack, running a hand down Honey's back to try and soothe her. "She's pretty protective of Rose"

"So I've heard" Peter replied, a hint of nerves in his tone. "I'm afraid I'd really rather she left the room, however"

We understood. Jack led her over to the door by the collar, and she reluctantly followed. One he'd taken her out onto the landing, however, he turned to find Sarah half-closing the bedroom door on him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, blocking the door with his foot.

"We have work to do" said Sarah, seemingly surprised that he'd had to ask. "Don't worry, she seems to be doing fine so far. I'll be down when there's any news"

"You're not keeping me out" Jack's voice was firm, and I could tell he was forcing himself to stay calm.

"Why would you stay?"

I knew she didn't mean any harm. She just simply hadn't been confronted by a father who expected to stay with his wife in labour before.

"Please, I need him with me-argh!" I was cut off as another contraction ripped through me. With Sarah distracted, Jack gently but firmly forced his way past her and was at my side in an instant. He wrapped his arm around me and held me against him tightly. I pressed my face into his chest. There was something instantly comforting about just having him there with me.

"I'm not leaving her, and that's final" Jack said, his voice firm and defensive.

Sarah looked to the doctor, confused as to what to do. He looked equally uncertain. This was clearly a first for him too.

"Fine, fine" he eventually said, brushing away the topic with a wave of his hand. "As long as I have this baby out by morning I don't care if President Wilson wants to watch. Now, let's have a look at what's going on in there, shall we?"

The minutes crawled by like years in my mind. The time between the contractions that wreaked havoc upon me were merciful moments of calm that steadily became shorter and shorter as the night wore on. I could feel my strength draining with each one. I was soaked through with sweat, in spite of the freezing night.

"Alright, Rose" said Sarah after a nod from the doctor between my legs. She squeezed my hand hard. "You're almost there, now. You just need to push, alright? And your baby will be born. One big push, come on!"

Her words spun around my head like dust in the wind. I was slumped against Jack, with only his strength holding me up at this point. I was exhausted.

"I can't" I groaned in defeat. "I can't do it"

"Yes you can" Jack spoke close to my ear, his voice firm and strong. "You can do it, Rose"

"I can't!" I sobbed. I felt so hopeless. I just wanted it to be over.

"Yes you can" Jack repeated. "You can do this, Rose, you are strong enough, I know you are. Here"

He grasped my shaking hand in his firm grip.

"I've got you, see? I won't let go. Now come on, you can do it, push!"

I felt his strength flow into me, and I let out a shattering scream as I pushed hard.

All at once my screams were mixed with triumphant cheers from the others, and finally as the pounding in my head subsided, my ears filled with the piercing cries of my baby.

Sarah rushed from my side to join her husband in inspecting the arrival. As my hand dropped from her grasp Jack gathered me further into his arms and held me tight.

"You did it!" I heard him say through the pounding in my head, mingled with the sound of his heartbeat from where I lay pressed into his chest. "See, Rose? I said you could do it!"

I barely had the energy to smile. But I could feel my heart bursting with love and pride at the sound of our baby's cries. Those cries gave me the strength to raise my head from Jack's chest.

"What is it?" I called out feebly. Once the doctor had finished checking over contents of the blanket bundle in Sarah's arms, she returned to my side, her grey eyes watery with tears of happiness, and placed the bundle in my lap.

"It's a girl" she announced.

I didn't realise my heart could swell any bigger inside me, but I felt like I could explode with happiness as I looked down at my daughter's face for the first time. Her tiny face was screwed up with the effort of crying, and her body was tinged red from the birth, but to me she was the most beautiful work of art in the world.

"She's perfect!" Jack gasped beside me, sounding just as choked with happiness as I felt.

"She's ours..." I breathed in exhausted happiness. I needed to hear the words to confirm to myself that this perfect little person was the product of our love.

There we stayed, the baby cradled in my arms, and the both of us in Jack's protective embrace. I had no idea how much time had passed; it could have been an eternity for all I knew or cared. But finally, the baby began to quieten, and with a flutter of her eyelashes, we met her bright blue eyes for the first time, shining like sapphires. I stroked her soft, warm head, my fingertips intertwining with the wisps of blonde hair that graced her scalp.

"She's going to take after you" I grinned, looking up at Jack. The smile on his face was the purest form of happiness I had ever seen.

"Maybe, but I bet she'll have her mother's strength" he said, placing a soft kiss on my damp forehead.

The moment of perfection was brought to an abrupt end by another pain surfacing from inside me. I screwed my eyes shut through the pain and tightened my grip on the baby, causing her to stir again in my arms.

"What is it? What's wrong?" came Jack's worried voice.

"Oh God..."

Peter's tone of voice was not one that brings comfort to hear from a doctor. His eyes were wide with shock and concern, his already-pale complexion now ghostly white.

"There's another" he said finally. "You're having twins, Rose"

"Twins?!" I gasped, going dizzy with shock.

"I should have realised" the doctor almost growled, rolling up the sleeves slipping down his arms as he snapped into action again. "Sarah, more towels please. And clean those instruments, we'll be needing them again"

I couldn't decide if I wanted to cry in delight at the thought of two babies joining our family tonight, or in horror at the thought of having to go through the delivery process all over again. The little girl in my arms must have sensed my feelings, for she began to whimper in my arms.

"I can't do it again" I said hopelessly. "I can't"

"Yes you can" Jack said firmly. "You did it once, and you can do it again. I know you can"

I had no idea how he could have such firm faith in me, but it gave me the courage to be determined to prove him right. In spite of my aching, battered body, I nodded wearily. I couldn't dwell on my own feelings now. I had another life to bring into the world. My own needs could wait a little longer. The first of many motherly sacrifices. Jack eased our daughter out of my arms and into his own, resting her in the crook of his arm as he placed the other back around my shoulders, his supportive grasp assuring me that he would always be right here with me. And so I endured the ordeal once again.

The faded glow of the sunrise had just started to bleed into the midnight-blue sky when Sarah placed our newborn son in my arms. He came into the world with barely a whimper, so quiet compared to his sister. He nestled into my hold and quickly fell asleep, barely giving us a proper look at his eyes - sea-green to match my own; the only feature distinguishing him from his sister, whose wisps of silvery-blond hair he shared.

I leaned my head against Jack's shoulder, finally allowing myself to collapse my weight against him. I was truly exhausted. Only the fluttering joy inside me kept me from passing out. I barely paid any attention as the doctor finished up his work, scrawled down several pages of notes in a battered leather notebook and declared the job done at last.

"Well done, Rose" Sarah smiled as she finished packing away their things. There was barely a speck of tiredness in her eyes; she'd endured many all-nighters on the job, and would endure many more to come. Strands of her blonde hair tumbled from their pinned-up position and her dress now bore many crumpled creases from hours spent kneeling on the floor; the only evidence of her night's work.

"One pair of perfect twins, safe and healthy" Peter declared, shrugging on his coat and finally treating his bleary eyes to a good rub. "Well done indeed. We'll leave you to rest now, but I'll drop by this evening to check on you all. Any problems in the meantime, you know where I am"

And they were off, to another full day's work. It as a school day, and Sarah would be expected at the school in a few hours. Peter no doubt had a full day's work ahead of him too.

But as he opened the bedroom door, he jumped backwards in surprise as a bright yellow streak shot past him and ran in frantic circles around him and Sarah. It was Honey, anxious and excited after such a long, strange night of being shut out of the room. She quickly spotted us over on the bed and came bounding over. Sarah only just managed to grab hold of her before she made a leap onto the bed.

"Slow down there, girl, newborns tend to be pretty fragile" she laughed as she fought to keep hold of the squirming dog in her grasp, whining to be set free. She allowed Honey to slowly approach, leaning up on her hind legs in her effort to strain as far forward as possible, her tail lashing excitedly as she eagerly sniffed the strange bundles in front of her. Just moments later, the change in her was remarkable. Her tail stilled, her body tensed a little, and her ears perked up curiously. She seemed to realise that these strange objects were helpless young humans, and within minutes she was sitting calmly against Jack, who stroked her head that pressed close to the blanket containing the precious little creature inside, her tail swaying happily once in a while.

"You did it, Rose" Jack smiled down at me, his eyes darting from one sleeping baby to the other. He sounded completely overwhelmed with happiness.

"We did it" I replied, smiling back up at him. "I don't think I could've managed it without you"

"No Rose, you did all the hard work, I just cheered you on" Jack replied, reaching out a hand to stroke each twin's head in turn. The girl in his arms stirred in her sleep at his touch, but the boy in mine barely reacted, dozing peacefully.

"Thank you for making us a family" Jack whispered to me softly as I leaned my head back against him. His words warmed me inside as I finally allowed myself to fall into a well-deserved sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the product of my determination to procrastinate studying animals under anaesthesia. A topic which quite literally puts me to sleep. I hope you enjoyed.


	36. Chapter 36

January 16th 1913

Jack's POV

Almost three days after the birth, and Rose finally began to truly come back to me. She had been understandably completely worn out from the experience and had slept almost constantly since the twins were born, waking only when they needed her. She easily stuck to the rules of strict bed-rest given to her by the doctor, which proved to me just how drained she must be; my Rose was rarely one for laying idly in bed all day. But when she was awake, her weary eyes would light right up at the sight of her children, for whom all her energy now focused on taking care of.

I could barely take my own eyes off of the twins myself. It was the most indescribable feeling to look down at those two tiny, helpless beings and to think that they were mine; it sent an almost indescribable feeling rushing through me. A feeling of incomparable happiness, and a fiercely protective love that I knew would never be overcome by anything.

I would far too easily lose track of the time I'd spent standing there over the cot that the twins shared beside our own bed. As we hadn't expected twins, the pair had to share the one cot for now, which thankfully they were small enough to fit comfortably into together. Besides, after nine months curled up together, they seemed to prefer to be close to one another.

As awestruck as I could be by the sight of them, my idleness didn't bode well for the work I was supposed to be doing. Not long after the doctor left on the morning after the twins were born, just as the sun had begun to rise, I grabbed the post boy on his usual way past, handed him 10 cents and told him to run as quick as he could to the Herald offices after his rounds and tell them that my wife had had twins last night and that I'd be working from home for a few days. It wouldn't be unexpected news. The boss and I had already arranged the compromise, he was just waiting for the heads up that it had happened. His eyes lighting up at the sight of the coin, off he ran to complete the task, slipping on the icy pathway as he went.

And so on his early morning rounds, Will the post boy would swap our morning post for my sketch folder to be delivered to the office across town and he would squeeze in another dash back to the house before school to bring me the boss's written requests for whatever drawings he needed. Will didn't receive money from his father, the postmaster, for his deliveries, but with 10 cents from both myself and my boss for each trip, his sketch-couriering made him the richest ten year old in the village.

It was particularly appealing to have a few days off from trudging through the early morning snow. The snow had continued to fall not long after the end of the fierce blizzard that had blighted the night the twins were born. It was lovely to be able to stay inside in the warm with my family for once. In theory, working from home was a pretty cosy set up. In practice, however, it was another story. Between the constant needs of our two newborns, and the fact that all I wanted to do all day was just sit and watch them sleep, I rarely spent as much time as I should have on my work. And it felt like every time I did finally sit down to draw, an all-too-familiar cry would come from upstairs, and so the paper would have to remain blank a little longer.

"God, she does seem to be so much louder her brother!" Rose remarked as the girl in her arms finished feeding, only for her to almost immediately beginning to whimper again, never able to stay quiet for long. I was sat on the edge of the bed with the boy in my arms, waiting quietly for his turn, rarely one to make too much of a fuss. I eased our daughter out of Rose's arms and and her brother took her place for his own feed.

Rose was right. They would both cry when they were hungry or needed changing, but once satisfied, the boy was content to go back to peacefully sleeping, whereas his sister was much more needy, often crying simply when she was put down, demanding just to be held again. She certainly seemed to have the makings of a little drama queen. I held her tightly to me and tried to prevent the screaming that I knew would follow if she didn't feel she was getting enough attention.

"We still need to name them, you know" I said. "It's been three days, we can't keep calling them 'him' and 'her' forever"

"True" Rose sighed with a smile, staring down at our son in her arms. "I've had so many names going through my head since they were born, but I just can't seem to get any of them to stick"

"Apparently it can help to say them out loud" I offered. "It can make them feel more real"

"It's worth a shot. Hmm... William?" said Rose uncertainly, staring down at the baby at her chest. "No, that doesn't feel right"

"Agreed" I replied. I thought hard for a moment, then looked down at the girl in my arms. "How about Emily?"

"I don't think she looked like an Emily" said Rose.

The closer I looked, the more I couldn't see it.

We tried several times for each baby, but none had much success. None of the names seemed to click like we'd expected them to.

"You know, I think for her, we're thinking a bit too traditionally" I suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just something about her... I get the feeling that a popular name won't be right for her. She needs something more unique. Individual."

A short pause followed. Rose leaned her head wearily against the headboard of the bed, peering thoughtfully at our daughter for a moment.

"Something French..." she muttered, almost as though speaking only to herself. "I like French names"

She took a long pause again before finally deciding.

"Danielle"

There it was. The click.

"Danielle" I repeated, looking down at her. As the name rolled off of my tongue it was a though a piece of a jigsaw had finally been slotted into place. This was our daughter's name.

"It's perfect" I said with a smile.

"Indeed it is. But for the life of me I don't have the energy to think of a second name"

Now it was my turn to think outside the box. I thought hard, looking down at Danielle's sleeping face for inspiration. Second names often have sentimental meaning, sometimes even more than a first name. Hers should be no different.

"I have it" I said finally. "Josephine"

Rose's face glowed with warm nostalgia as she realised I'd named her after the song I'd sang to her on the bow of the Titanic. The first time our love for one another had been realised.

"There we go then" she said happily. "Danielle Josephine"

"Now, how about this little guy?"

With the name testing method thrown out the window, our minds began to wander elsewhere for inspiration. The little boy had fed quietly whilst we focused on his sister, and now, finally-satisfied, he settled himself into Rose's chest, his bright eyes staring up at his mother.

"I love his eyes..." Rose murmured, smiling down at him.

"So do I" I replied. "They're yours"

"They're my father's" said Rose, her smile fading just a little. "I got them from him"

A hint of sadnessed crossed her face. Sadness that ought not to be allowed to exist when one looked at their child.

"I so wish he could have been here. He'd have loved to have seen his grandchildren"

I saw a tear begin to form in her eye, and I edged further onto the bed and pulled her to lean her against me.

" I know" I said, looking down at the twins cradled between us. "I feel the same way"

It was a thought that had crossed my mind many times over the last few days. How much would our children resemble the grandparents they would never meet? They had both inherited my family's hair colouring, would they grow to develop any other similarities? If they did, would it be hard to see those features again? I hoped not. In the five years since my parents' deaths, I had made my peace with their loss, and I desperately hoped that being reminded of them by my children would not re-awaken old memories. I could tell from the look in Rose's eyes that seeing our son's eyes, her father's eyes, that she hadn't seen on another being for so long, stirred bittersweet emotions inside her. Perhaps it reminded her of the sad fact that I had spent time considering myself. Our children would grow up in a family smaller than most. They would be no less loved than any child with more relatives, but they would never know a wider family circle. Their one living grandparent may not wish to have a connection with them, but I wanted them to have at least some form of connection with the rest of their family. Perhaps that link lay here?

"What was your father's name?" I found myself asking. Why had I never asked before?

"Edward" Rose replied, looking slightly surprised at the question. "What was yours" She asked in return.

"James" I answered.

"I like that" said Rose with a smile. She looked down at the now-sleeping boy in her arms. "James Edward. I think it fits"

"I think so too" I agreed, my smile matching her own.

Danielle Josephine and James Edward Dawson lay peacefully in our embrace, completely oblivious to the colossal milestone in their short lives that they had just reached.

I hadn't thought that it was possible to feel any more intensely in love with the two babies in our arms, but finally finding their names felt like meeting them all over again. They could now truly start to build their own identities. Finally, our family had truly begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fun fact I didn't discover until long after I chose it: One meaning for the name Danielle is "Only God can judge me", which conveniently fits rather well for the future I have planned for her... :P


	37. Chapter 37

February 3rd 1913

Cal's POV

I tilted the crystal glass in my hand, watching the whisky within glow gold in the firelight as it swilled around within. The heavy winter rain pelted against the windows of my study, as it had done most nights for the last few weeks. The stormy weather matched the stormy mood which hung over me, and which scarcely lifted once over most of the last year.

Since my failed mission to retrieve Rose from Wisconsin last July, I had taken a deep and heavy fall from the top of society to the depths of judgement, gossip and speculation. It was infuriating to think about how different things were this time last year. It had been around this time that I had first met Rose, at the wedding of a mutual acquaintance. At the time I was the most eligible bachelor this side of the country; heir to an enormous fortune and successful business, an untarnished reputation, promising future ahead; a great catch for any young woman. No wonder Rose's mother threw her at me.

And now where was I? Sat alone in my study of an evening, shut away from the world with nothing but a glass of whiskey for company, as far away from the judging stares and muttered gossip of society. Not that any of them dared to say such things to my face. Only one foolish young girl had been stupid enough to ask how I obtained the leg injury that had left me with a limp. The look I'd given her must have scared her. She'd scuttled off back into the crowd with a stammered apology. I didn't care how impolite it had been of me. Anything was better than telling the world that the injury had been dealt by the filthy mutt of my fiancee, whom had run off with a worthless nobody. The details that floated around Pittsburgh society about exactly what had happened between Rose and I were sketchy at the best of times. With no first-hand source apart from myself, people were left to trade tiny slithers of rumours for themselves.

I had rid myself of Rose's mother the day we arrived back in Pittsburgh. Now that she didn't have a bride to offer me, I saw no reason as to why I should put up with her a moment longer than necessary. I'd told her that our business together was now complete as we stepped off of the train in Pittsburgh, and before the staff had even finished unloading our cases, I had turned my back and left her on the platform, with only a banknote sufficient to buy her a ticket to Philadelphia as the final of many acts of charity. I didn't hear what had become of her after that. I didn't care.

Despite not knowing the ins and outs of the situation, what people did know was that Rose and I had set sail for Europe March last year as a happily engaged couple, and one sunken ship and wild goose chase later, I had returned a single and humiliated man. It had been enough to turn the eyes of every pushy social-climbing mother this side of the country, and their daughters away from me.

"The DeWitt Bukater girl was a good enough match, but there are plenty more fish in the sea!" my father had snapped at me repeatedly, every time I expressed a lack of interest in finding another bride. "Gossip passes, soon enough there'll be some other scandal to talk about and this will all have blown over"

One could be forgiven for thinking that his words had been intended to offer some sort of reassurance after my ordeal, but then again Nathan Hockley had never wasted time on the feelings of others in his life.

"I will not go to my grave without this family line and my fortune secured with an heir. I'll be damned if I let everything I've worked for go to ruin because you couldn't keep hold of a woman!"

My father's constant words of dissatisfaction had always had a way of getting to me, particularly during moments of failure. They irked me into burying myself in the bottom of a whiskey bottle, and so there I stayed for most of the winter of 1912. I had always sought solace in alcohol, but in my darkest hours I quickly discovered that if one drinks enough of the stuff, there is no limits to the pain they can numb. As 1913 dawned, my cost of my bill for expensive liquor was only matched by my doctor's bill.

The relief I sought in alcohol had cost me greatly. My doctor warned me that I would do myself some proper damage if I didn't get a grip on myself soon. His words, closely accompanied by my father's threats to cut off my funds, lest I drink myself to death and leave the family line dead, were was drove me to eventually drag myself out of my drunken haze, and back into the world. Seeing sense at last, I pulled myself back up and assumed my old life of businessman and wife-hunter.

The evening of February 5th was the birthday gala of Mrs Martha Davies, wife of Mr Samuel Davies, a millionaire of the lumber industry based in Chicago. For the last decade he had plowed down trees and turned them into money, his wood supplying top-name brands that paid him well for his goods. As a relatively new but highly successful businessman, he was up and coming in the social circles, and an invitation to a party thrown by him was highly sought after.

A birthday party is merely an excuse for a social gathering of a strategic nature, and so, although we hadn't met in person, I was extended an invitation to the huge gala being thrown for Mrs Davies at their Chicago mansion. Despite my unfortunate past, I was still someone to be kept in good company with for business purposes. And since such an event would always be rife with potential wives, I didn't have much choice but to attend anyway.

I felt annoyingly self-conscious as I limped into the main ballroom of the house, trying not to lean to heavily on my gold-handled cane as I pretended not to see the stares that I drew. I quickly spotted the host, Mr. Davies, and headed over to greet him.

"Ah, Hockley" he greeted me from behind his rapidly-greying moustache, tilting his head up to look at me from his not-so-blessed height. "So glad you could make it"

It's possible that he meant what he said, but in all likeliness he was probably just being polite. In any case, Samuel Davies was not a naturally cheerful man. His heavy moustache did not help the fact that he seemed to be permanently frowning, and his voice always seemed to be low and gruff, whatever his mood.

"Very glad to be here, Samuel" I replied the expected reply, in the expected polite tone. "And a very happy birthday to Mrs. Davies...?" I glanced around the room to ask of her whereabouts.

"Oh she'll be around" Samuel waved a hand in dismissal. "Never stays still, too many people to see, you know what women are like"

He chuckled slightly and patted me on the shoulder as though he had cracked a great joke. I forced myself to let out a small laugh in reply. Davie was a man of few words, and after a moment of awkward silence, I eventually struck the win-all phrase of "How is business?", and let him rumble on in his deep voice about lumber supplies in the state. It only took me several minute to let myself tune out of his precise words and allow my mind to drift away.

And that's when I saw her, and was immediately snapped back into reality.

"Father! Mother sent me to ask if you're certain the caterers brought the caviar? It should have been served by now and if they didn't then the whole serving schedule will be- Oh, hello"

The girl who came hurrying up to her father was a striking vision of innocent beauty. Petite and slight in stature, she wore a deep purple gown that shone against the thick chestnut hair that hung in an elegant updo, all the while in dire danger of falling free from its pins to cascade down her back. When she turned to look at me, it was with eyes of the palest crystal blue you could envision, which shone as she smiled her greeting.

"Erm, yes, of course, hello" I mumbled in greeting as I snapped out of my trance. "Caledon Hockley"

"Rebecca Davies" she introduced herself with a smile, extending her arm.

"How lovely to meet you" I took her small, delicate hand and placed a kiss on her soft skin.

My words were as true as day.

"Darling, can't you see I'm in the middle of an important conversation" Samuel said sternly to his daughter. "I'm sure the caviar will be served on time, now run along, Mr Hockley doesn't wish to be bothered by-"

"Oh no, Samuel, not at all" I interrupted. "Quite the contrary, it's an honor to become acquainted with a member of your family, especially since I had no idea you had such a lovely daughter"

Rebecca let out a shy giggle her cheeks blushing slightly.

Samuel let out a deep-bellied guffaw, as though I had said something funny.

"Yes, I'm sure" he gave me another hard pat on the shoulder. "Well anyway now, run along dear, we have matters of importance to discuss"

Rebecca willingly took her leave with a farewell not, though there was a glint in her eye that suggested she wasn't too pleased with being dismissed by her father like a bothersome child.

If complaining had been an Olympic sport, Samuel Davies would have been a champion. For what felt like hours he whittled on about the trials and tribulations of convincing country folk that their forests were best put to better use in lumber mills, or else he was ranting about the latest scandals of the social circles (I did wonder how long it had been since he had ranted about myself in such a tone. I didn't like to ask). I paid barely enough attention to mutter vague responses at the right times. My attention was otherwise devoted to scanning the crowded room for his daughter. Every time I caught a flash of purple I hoped it would be her, and I felt a rush of excitement every time I sighted her in the crowd.

Something about her had me completely captivated. She was beautiful, but not in the way I had expected. Part of what had drawn me to Rose had been the uniqueness of her beauty; her bright red hair, a trait which so many traditionally considered to be an unlucky flaw, I found flamingly attractive. Her quiet demeanor, the way she closed herself off from those around her, just made me all the more determined to break through her shell and claim her true feelings underneath.

My memories of Rose ran through my mind as I watched Rebecca, so polite and cheerful to everyone, with her traditionally pretty looks enchanting everyone around her automatically. She was the complete opposite to my former fiancee. And maybe that's what drew me to her. The longer I looked, the more I wanted her.

"What say you on the matter, Hockley?"

I was dragged back to reality by Davies' question, the answer to which I had absolutely no idea. What had he even been talking about?

"Well I, ah, can't really say, so to speak-" I gabbled in an attempt to wriggle out of the spot.

"Say, what's wrong with you tonight, man? Head seems awfully up in the clouds tonight"

He furrowed his brow suspiciously at me.

"Not been on the sauce already, have you?"

He feigned a stern voice long enough for me to stiffen defensively before letting out a deep rumbling laugh.

"A joke, man, just a joke! Now, I must try and locate my wife and determine the caviar situation. Hell will raise if there's a problem tonight"

And with another chuckle and slap on my shoulder, he was off into the crowd, leaving me alone at last. I took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a glorious sip at last. God knows I needed one after a conversation with that man.

Not long after Davies left, the announcement was made that the dancing would begin. The buzz of anticipation in the crowded room made my groan inaudible. What with my damaged leg, there was not a hope in hell that I would even attempt to dance. And so I helped myself to another glass of champagne and took my position at the edge of the room with the few others not participating to watch.

Samuel and his wife opened the dance, of course. It was rather amusing watching the short and rather round man attempting to waltz with his tall, slender wife. Awkward as their movements were, it was nevertheless admirable to see the way a man could still look at his wife after twenty-odd years of marriage. The look of long-seasoned love they shared was not one that I was familiar with.

One by one, couples took to the floor. Including, to my slight annoyance, Rebecca, with a rather handsome looking young man that I eventually managed to place as the son of a senator I had seen once or twice at various occasions. No doubt a future politician himself. A very good match.

I stood the sight of them for two or three dances, then decided I'd had enough. The crowded candle-lit ballroom had begun to get rather stuffy. Excusing my way through the crowd against the wall, I limped towards the door to the end of the room that led to the patio overlooking the Davies' immaculate gardens, complete with fountain centrepiece. I helped myself to a third glass of champagne from a waiter on my way.

The cold night air felt refreshing against my skin. It was rather a nice night, in fact, I thought to myself as I took a seat on the bench a few metres down from the patio door. I swirled the champagne around in its glass; now that I thought of it, I didn't really fancy another glass. I never did really enjoy the taste of champagne, but then who does? People rarely drink alcohol for the taste; it's the ability to numb the brain that we desire. I half-raised the glass to my lips and prepared for the bitterness to sweep across my tongue, when I was distracted by the sound of tiny, heeled footsteps and heavy breathing.

I looked round to the patio door to see Rebecca, hand on her forehead as she panted for breath. She looked exhausted. She turned and jumped slightly in surprise when she noticed me.

"Oh, sorry!" she gasped with a surprised smile. "I didn't realise anyone else was out here"

I smiled at her. It was hard not to.

"This is your house, not mine. If anything I should be the one apologising"

She laughed a little, looking down at her feet awkwardly.

"I just needed a breath of air" she said, her panting subsiding at last. "It certainly is warm in there"

The tiredness in her pretty face was evident, and mine was the only bench.

"Please, sit down" I said, sliding across to the far end of the bench to offer her as much space as possible between us. "You look like you need a rest"

Ordinarily it would have been expected of me to get up, but what with my leg, that rule was allowed to slide. But still, appearances were everything. Rebecca took a quick half-glance back into the ballroom to make sure no one would see her sat alone on a bench with a man, before muttering a thank you and sitting herself on the end of the bench, a half-metre void between us.

She stared ahead awkwardly, clearly unfamiliar with what to do in this improper situation. I tried to steal darting glances at her without staring, raking my brain for ways to break the tension.

"You should cool down" I said to her, offering my untouched glass of champagne.

"Oh but it's yours!" said Rebecca out of politeness, though her eyes stared longingly at the ice-cold glass.

"Please, I insist" She took the glass from me. "I don't rather enjoy the stuff anyway. Or alcohol in general, to be honest"

Lies are a useful tool in the art of flirtation that should be used in thoughtful moderation.

She took what was supposed to be a dainty sip, but which quickly turned into a grateful gulp.

"Thank you" she said with a smile as she pressed her hand to her mouth. Her eyes narrowed a moment in thought. "I'm so sorry but I've forgotten your name. Mister..."

"Hockley" I said. "Caledon Hockley. But please, call me Cal"

"Oh yes, you were talking with my father earlier!" Her dainty mouth drooped it's smile just a little. "I'm sorry he cut off our introductions, he tends to do that when I have to interrupt him. He still seems to think of me as a little girl who can't join in with the grown ups. It's really quite annoying"

"I can imagine"

I couldn't, of course.

"Of course he's happy enough to consider me as an adult when he wants to throw the sons of his friends at me!" she laughed after another sip of champagne.

"Ah yes, I saw you dancing with a young man in there. Shipton, wasn't it? Oliver Shipton?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Fine fellow" I braced myself for the adoring remarks which were sure to come. "Good family. Very influential"

"And doesn't he know it!" said Rebecca. "My father told me to make sure I danced with him tonight, which of course means he's on the list of potential matches"

She scooted just a tiny bit along the bench towards me and leaned towards me a little.

"Influential family, as you say, and not uneasy on the eye, I admit, but he really is terribly stuck up about it all"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Indeed?"

"Oh yes. Happy enough to talk about himself all day. I just had to escape out here, before I had to listen to any more about his all of his university rowing team wins"

My spirits lifted. So she wasn't taken on that fellow after all.

Rebecca sighed, emptying the last of the champagne down her throat.

"I know I'll have to marry someone" she said, staring into the fountain in the distance. "And as my mother keeps telling me, I'm running out of time"

"How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Twenty-one"

"Nonsense, you've barely even begun yet, you have plenty of time!"

"Not in the marriage market I'm afraid" she said with a knowing smile and a raised eyebrow. "You should know, how old was your fiancee? Seventeen?"

The moment dulled, and a painfully awkward silence fell between us. Rebecca's face fell in embarrassed horror.

"I'm so sorry" she said. "It's the champagne, I knew I shouldn't have drunk it so quickly. Not that it's an excuse of course. That was terribly rude of me, I-"

She began to rise, and without realising it, my arm darted out to touch hers and halt her.

"No, really, it's fine" I said. "Please, sit down, it was an honest remark" Rebecca slowly returned to her seat, a tad closer to the middle of the bench than before. "And yet, it's true, Rose was seventeen. A tad young I suppose, but that's just how these things work out sometimes"

"I suppose" Rebecca said quietly, wringing her hands in her lap. Eventually she plucked up the courage to say "I'm sorry to hear what happened. It must have all been so awful for you, what with that ghastly night, the Titanic sinking"

"Indeed, it was quite a night" I said in a low voice, my eyes focusing on the fountain.

"I could scarcely believe it" Rebecca continued. "When we all read it in the newspapers it was so chaotic that it was hard not to think it was all lies. Some papers even said the ship was still afloat! Every newspaper and every day brought a new story, a new list of survivors, a new final death toll..."

I didn't know what to say. I could hardly tell her the truth about that night. I doubt she'd be pleased to hear about how I'd attempted to kill my fiancee and the lowlife she'd run off with, nor how I'd attempted bribery and even used a child to get onto a lifeboat. Every detail, from the moment the ship struck the berg to when I'd handed the girl over to her miraculously-survived older brother, must always remain hidden. If any of it had gotten out...

"I'm sorry" Rebecca apologised again. "What am I thinking, dragging all that up at a party. You must think me rather annoying"

"Certainly not" I replied, allowing myself to gaze at her for perhaps a moment longer than proper. "I think you're a perfectly charming young lady"

She blushed, a pink tinge surfacing on her flawless, dimpled cheeks.

"Well, you seem to be rather a nice man yourself" she replied with a flattered smile which suddenly turned sincere, her crystal blue eyes twinkling in the night sky.

"I do hope you find someone else" she said.

"I hope so too" I replied, returning her smile.

Not only did I hope, but I knew exactly whom I wanted.


	38. Chapter 38

February 28th 1913

Cal's POV

"So" Samuel Davies took a puff of his cigar, turning to blow a lungful of smoke into his office fire before fixing me with a hard stare once again. "You have come here today to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage?"

It had been a whirlwind month that had led up to this moment, in which I sat in office of the man whose daughter I now knew I wanted for my wife more than anyone else. The very next day after her mother's party, I had gotten down to the surprisingly tricky work of finding out Rebecca Davies' movements. She had proven to be not just a pretty face, but also charming and kind, all good wifely virtues. There was a spirit in her that differed from that of Rose's. Although confident in herself, she was not the type to change her mind and decide to go running off into nowhere. Rebecca would be the perfect wife, I knew. And I needed to have her, quickly, before she was paired off with some hotshot young banker or politician.

In the weeks that followed, I ensured I was present at every event, every party, every polo match that Rebecca attended. Each time she seemed happy to see me; I wondered if she suspected that our identical event diaries were intentional. A pretty young lady like her was surely aware of the men around her, sizing up her potential. Whether she knew my intentions of if she simply thought I was just being friendly, either way she didn't object to my attentions. She played her part perfectly; she chatted politely, laughed in all the right places, and allowed a polite, if a little formal, friendship to form between us.

I could tell that she thought me pleasant enough, but there was still something restrained about her. She never declined an invitation for a chat or a stroll after dinner, but she would hesitate for just a moment before accepting. Perhaps there was a thought that ran through her head that warned her of what my true interest in her was, and perhaps she wasn't sure that she wanted the future I intended for her. But she, like every other young woman of her class, understood that the biggest quest of her young life was to make the best marriage she could, and so, she did her duty valiantly.

In any case, a woman's opinion of the matter is only one factor in making a good marriage. The proposal itself is just a matter of formality. The true proposal is the day in which the man seeks permission from the woman's father for his daughter's hand. And so, after several weeks of carefully-coordinated courting, this was the next step I had to make.

And so here I was, sat in the office of Samuel Davies, a glass of his port in one hand whilst the other hand desperately tried not to fidget under pressure. I am not a man who admits to nerves often, but asking a man for his daughter's hand is risky business. The shame of being rejected can stain your character for years to come, and once word got out, the chances of persuading another girl's father to approve a marriage would be much slimmer. And with my track record, a rejection now would probably finish my chances completely. A lot rode on how the next few minutes would play out.

"Yes, I have" I replied, staring him right in the eye, hiding my nerves beneath a show of confidence as always.

He huffed a little, staring across at the fire blazing beside him, watching as the logs, most likely chopped by his own company, blackened into ashes and crumbled. After a moment which felt like an hour, he fixed me with a suspicious stare, leaning forward in his chair slightly.

"I'm sure you're not aware, Hockley, but Rebecca was once almost engaged before"

This was a shock. I hadn't known anything about this. My confusion must have been obvious, because he proceeded to explain.

"It was several years ago now. Rebecca was only eighteen. It was the Redwood boy, David. Son of Sydney"

Ah yes. The Redwoods owned a sizable about of land, and were one of the biggest grain suppliers in this part of the country. I remembered the wedding of David, Sydney's eldest son. It had been the hottest news of the summer that year.

"That bloody fool was all but promised to my daughter. I picked him out for her myself; invited the family over, encouraged them to become close. His father and I discussed the match several times. Then he went and threw her over for that Renfrew girl from Philly at the last minute. Rebecca was devastated. Thank goodness the engagement was never formally agreed, she'd have been ruined"

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? I pitied the girl.

Davies' eyes narrowed at me in a look that could almost have almost been threatening.

"That boy was a suitor I chose for her and one I gave my full approval of. And her broke her heart. I will not allow my daughter to be put through such an ordeal again. So before I even entertain the idea of offering her hand to you, how can you assure me that I am giving her to a man worthy of her?"

I gripped my glass tightly, resisting the urge to take a swig for encouragement. Behind his expensive suit and thick walrus moustache, Samuel Davies was nothing more than a chump who needed persuading. And what better skill could a businessman like myself possess other than the art of persuasion?

"I'm terribly sorry to hear of all that trouble, Davies. I had no idea. However, I can assure you that your daughter is the most charming girl I have ever set eyes on, and quite frankly I can think of none that I would prefer to take for a wife than her"

"Is that so? What about Rose DeWitt Bukater?"

My stomach felt as though I had swallowed a rock. I gritted my teeth and pretended to not have noticed the ever so slight upward curl of the man's mouth as he spoke the name that no one had dared speak to me in months. Clearly he wanted answers to the rumours that had been flying around. I couldn't really blame him. Nevertheless, I had to think fast.

"I'm afraid the DeWitt Bukater girl is a delicate business" I began, shaking my head as I looked into the fire. "The poor girl was traumatized by the sinking of the Titanic. Unfortunately our marriage was only ever one of convenience. I respected the girl, of course, but it was a match to benefit both sides, nothing more.

"Sadly on that night, in a mindless panic, she ran away from the safety of the lifeboats, out of sight for a while. I'm only thankful I managed to find her and see her safely onto a lifeboat in time. The poor girl must have been terrified out of her wits, I found her later on the Carpathia hiding amongst the immigrants. She had hardly any idea what she was doing.

"I'm sorry to say that the trauma of that dreadful night was too much for her. Her mother and I kept her inside the Carpathia cabins out of sight in the hope that she would come back to her senses, but I'm afraid she didn't. Her state of mind hasn't been quite the same since. She's been too deeply affected by the sinking. I'm afraid I simply couldn't go through with a marriage to a woman who is not mentally sound, and so I simply had to break it off, for both of our sakes. I believe her mother sent her to live with a relative out west, somewhere rural, and peaceful"

Davies shook his head and sighed. He seemed saddened by my fictional but convincing tale of the mystery surrounding Rose's disappearance. I gave myself an internal pat on the back. Wherever possible, always play on emotions.

"Terrible business, that ship, terrible. I'm not surprised it had such an affect on her"

"Of course, naturally you understand that her mother and I would much rather keep the details of Rose's condition quiet. The poor girl is not something to be gossiped over. Nor would I appreciate my actions to be questioned by those with no knowledge of the matter"

"Yes yes, of course, I understand" said Davies thoughtfully. "Well Hockley, I'll admit I've questioned the matter of the DeWitt Bukater girl many times, and I thank you for telling the story truthfully"

"And so, surely you can see now that causing any hurt to your daughter would be the last thing I should desire. As I said, she is a charming girl who I'm sure would make a man a lovely wife. Should that man be me, then she would marry into a highly respected and influential family with a sizeable fortune. She'd want for nothing"

Davies nodded silently, glancing into the fire once again for a moment before suddenly getting to his feet.

"Dammit, she's not getting any younger and neither am I. It's as good an offer as she'll ever get, and she certainly seems pleasant with you, I must say. Very well, Hockley, you have my permission. You may marry my daughter"

He extended his hand, which I quickly rose to grasp in a firm shake with a wide grin, a grin which stayed plastered to my face as I left the house, triumphant. I had gotten what I wanted in the end. After all, I always win.

Our wedding was held on March 30th 1913, in the biggest church in Pittsburgh, followed by an evening gala at one of the finest hotels Davies' money could buy.

Rebecca looked absolutely stunning in her white silk and lace wedding gown, close-fitting with a long train. Her neck, ears and wrists were dripping with delicate rubies, which complimented her olive complexion beautifully. Her glossy brown hair was pinned up in a complicated plaited style and woven with fresh daisies. She looked every inch the perfect bride, save for one detail. Though she smiled the whole day, there was a tiny glint in her eyes that suggested doubt. It was the same glint that I had seen when I proposed.

I spent a good deal of the day wondering how genuine her outward reactions were. The whole day, as she had done her whole life, she played her part perfectly. She smiled, she danced, she thanked well-wishers, she accepted gifts, but every so often, during a rare lonely moment, her smile would face, and there it was. Doubt. Was she simply putting on a performance?

I am no fool. I do not believe that such nonsense as love at first sight exists. Nor am I under the pretence that marriages exist out of pure love alone. It was more than likely that Rebecca was not in love with me. That I knew. Nor was I truly in love with her, though I was certainly fond of her. No doubt Rebecca was aware of this. Women tend to try and believe in love, and so perhaps it was the truth of reality that caused her melancholy. Nevertheless, she carried on, never letting her show slip in sight of the many people around her.

Since dancing is no longer one of my capacities, Rebecca danced with various male relatives all night. It would be unseemly for her to dance with any other man on her wedding day, but thankfully she had many cousins to fill in as a dancing partner. I preferred watching her anyway. She really was a beautiful dancer. After a particularly fast dance came to an end, she excused herself from her partner and headed across the room to the glass doors, thrown wide open in a desperate attempt to cool the ballroom with fresh air from the gardens. I followed her path through the crowd.

Rebecca stood out on the lawn, lit only by dim lights in the flowerbeds. She seemed to be deep in thought. As I walked up to her side, I wondered for a moment if she'd appreciate the company. She turned to look at me as I arrived, then silently stared back out into the distance.

A moment of silence hung between us, broken only by the crickets chirping in the warm air of the spring night. Unsaid words screamed from within, though what those words were, I wasn't quite sure. In the end, it was Rebecca who finally broke the building tension.

"Will you love me?"

I looked across at the woman by my side, a vision of bridal beauty, contradicted only by the uncertainty swimming in her gleaming crystal eyes, revealing the youthful insecurity beneath. I softened at the sight of them. She may know in her heart that love does not come naturally to most marriages, but she needed something to hold on to. I could give her that at least.

"I'll try"


	39. Chapter 39

April 1st 1913

Rose's POV

After the long, bleak winter, the spring sunshine had finally begun to force its way through the cloudy skies. The warmth finally returned to the air, and it felt as though almost overnight, the town went through a great thaw. In just a few days, the fields were green again, the skies were pale blue, and the people came alive once more, another hard winter finally behind them.

It was late afternoon, and Sarah had come for her usual visit after the end of the school day. I'd come to greatly appreciate her visits, particularly in the winter. Jack wouldn't be home for another hour or so, and her visits broke up what could sometimes feel like a long, somewhat lonely day with the twins. I loved them dearly, more than anything in the world, but two tiny lives solely dependant on me for most of the day was a daunting task, and Sarah had such a way with them. She was always more than willing to take over with them for an hour or so, and I was more than happy to let her.

"You're so good with both of them" I said as the four of us sat out in the sun together. The day was so fine that we'd laid a large picnic blanket out on the grass in the backyard, where the twins could enjoy the first real warm sunshine of their lives. I stretched out my legs and slid my skirt up to my knees, the sun glaring off of my pale, sun-starved legs. On the grass beside me lay Honey, sleeping peacefully. In the near distance, Thunder and Rialta grazed peacefully together, happy to have lush grass at last after a winter of hay.

James lay peacefully on the rug, seeming to fall asleep on the soft rug beneath him, the sunlight gleaming off of his wisps of blond hair. His hair seemed to be staying relatively straight, unlike Danielle's, whose hair had just begun to show the slightest hints of curling. As they grew and their personalities developed, the early suspicions that their similarities would end with their looks began to be confirmed. James was always so content, happy with anything. He rarely cried at all, and then only when something was needed, and once provided with he would go straight back to sleep. If only his sister could take a leaf out of his book.

Danielle sat in Sarah's lap across from me, shrieking with delight whenever Sarah tickled her tummy. I so loved to see her happy, but her gleeful laugh was a hard-won sound. Danielle was not an easily-satisfied child. She would cry louder and more often than her brother, and would take a long time to settle. She felt everything intensely, and so when the slightest thing was wrong, she was completely distraught. But when she was happy, she positively glowed with joy.

"She's such a sweetheart" Sarah gushed over her, cuddling her close as she reached up to tug at her necklace.

"You wouldn't say that at three in the morning" I replied. "You're so great with both of them though, I'm sure Danielle likes you more than me"

"Of course she does, I'm the special aunt she can always rely on for sweets and rule-bending" Sarah joked.

I couldn't help but laugh. That's exactly what Sarah was, and what I could imagine her being throughout the twins' childhood. It did make me wonder, however.

"Do you think you'd have any of your own one day?" I asked.

Sarah's grin darkened just a little, and I instantly regretted my question.

"I'd like to" she said quietly, holding Danielle close to her. "But I don't think it's going to happen. We've tried, for a while, actually, but it just doesn't happen"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sarah. I didn't mean to upset you"

"It's alright" Sarah smiled a little. "We're both so busy anyway, how would we manage to raise a kid when we're out working all the hours of the day and night? And I couldn't give up my teaching. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be"

I smiled sadly. It was a true shame, that one so at ease with children should be denied any of her own. But she poured every ounce of her maternal instinct into James and Danielle, and if that made her happy, I was happy to oblige.

The sound of soft hooves approached from behind, and I turned to see Thunder heading our way, his jet black coat shining in the sun. He approached the blanket, and leaned his head down to graze the grass beside us. As I stroked his neck, I noticed Danielle suddenly get very excited at the new arrival from her place in Sarah's lap. She was fixated towards the new arrival and cried out in excitement, catching Thunder's attention. He raised his head to investigate the noise, and leaned forwards to touch his soft nose softly to Jame's tummy, investigating the strange little thing wriggling before him. He gave an unimpressed snort and turned his head away, losing interest.

Thunder may have been underwhelmed by his first encounter with a baby, but James was not at all happy with his first encounter with a horse. His face screwed up and he began to wail in fright. Thunder had barely so much as tickled him with his warm breath, but that was more than enough for James. I scooped him up from the blanket and held him close, trying in vain to comfort him.

"It's alright" I whispered to him, stroking his back soothingly. "That's just Thunder, you'll get used to him eventually. He won't hurt you, but he might let you go for a ride one day when you're older, won't that be fun?"

James continued to cry.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but if you've decided you don't like Thunder, you're telling Daddy, not me"

Placing Danielle on the blanket in front of her, Sarah reached into her work satchel that she'd brought with her.

"Rose" she said, taking out a newspaper from inside. "There was something I thought you ought to see"

I took the newspaper from her and unfolded it. It wasn't the Chippewa Falls newspaper, it was the wider Wisconsin one. A tad more expensive, but it covered more national news. Today's headline was directed towards motor car production, but that wasn't what caught my attention. Down in the corner was the preview for the society pages. A familiar name was printed before me. With a stony face, I turned the page to the story, and was confronted with a large photograph in the centre of the page of newlyweds Caledon Hockley and Rebecca Davies on the front steps of a church.

I stared down at their black and white faces, trying to decide what to feel. My stomach lurched at the sight of the face of the man who had been the subject of my horrors for so long. He grinned stiffly, but triumphantly. He looked proud of the woman on his arm, but it wasn't the pride I was used to seeing, the pride I saw on Jack's face when he held the twins, or when he first smiled at me in the morning. This was a pride of ownership. Of possessing the beautiful creature holding his arm. Rebecca Davies was the perfect bride. She was delicately beautiful, perfectly dressed in her white wedding gown, holding her bouquet of flowers. She stood in the position that, this time last year, had been destined for me.

At the edge of the photograph, hidden discreetly to one side of Cal, I noticed a cane. Once I spotted that, my eyes picked out the ever so slight way that he held one of his leg, bent slightly, as though trying not to put too much weight on it. It was the same leg that Honey had sunk her teeth into. I grinned triumphantly.

"What are you smiling for?" asked Sarah, confused.

"Cal" I chuckled in reply. "He's walking with a cane. See how he's trying to hide it on the side there? That's from where Honey went for him!"

"Oh my God" Sarah took back the newspaper to peer at the photograph. "Nice work there, Honey!"

Honey herself still dozed beside me happily, unaware of her moment of pride. I stroked her head fondly, thanking fate for the millionth time that she had been there that night. Honey let out a contented yawn and stretched out her legs onto the grass.

"Did you know her?" Sarah asked, placing the newspaper down on the blanket between us.

"No" I replied, staring down at the photograph, James cradled in my grasp, finally calmed. "I know of her, but I only met her the once, I think, at some party or other. She was rather sweet. Too sweet for the likes of him"

"I wonder what she saw in him to marry him then"

"I doubt she saw anything in him" I snorted in reply. "Cal will have asked her father, he would have seen the money to be made from the marriage and that will have been the deal sealed"

"So she wouldn't have had any say at all?"

"Probably not. Women from well-off families rarely do"

Sarah shook her head in disapproval, her teeth gritted in anger.

"Times can be hard, here" she said with a sigh. "Sometimes the crops don't grow, money gets tight and God knows what else, but at least we're free"

Her words were so perfect that there was nothing left for me to say.

On the rug in front of us, Danielle lay on her front, her legs kicking wildly as she reached out her hands for the newspaper. She slammed her little fists onto the paper; she seemed to enjoy the crinkling sound it made. I couldn't help but smile. She could never be still when there was something new to investigate. I smiled. It was impossible not to when looking at either of my children. My heart glowed with pride at everything they did; every laugh, every smile, every new achievement and discovery. There was not a day too dark for them to brighten.

It was not long before Jack finally returned home at long last. Being without him all day didn't feel quite so bad now that the daylight lasted longer and he arrived home before darkness fell. I never tired of seeing the smile on his face when he greeted me; regardless of whether his day had been good or bad, he always had nothing but happiness to offer me and the twins every evening.

Honey lept to her feet as Jack appeared from around the side of the house, bounding around excitedly to say hello.

"Thought I might find you out here" Jack called as he approached.

"We've been stuck inside for six damned months, I'm not wasting a second of the sun now that it's out" said Sarah.

"Had a good day?" Jack asked, placing a kiss on my forehead as he sat down beside me on the blanket. Honey, greetings complete, settled herself back down at my side to rest.

I nodded with a smile.

"You?" I replied.

"Pretty much" Jack said, sounding slightly uncertain. "Work-wise at least"

He pulled out a small white envelope from inside his jacket.

"I had a letter from Fabrizio"

Fabrizio and Helga had moved to Florida several months after our wedding. We'd kept up in touch with regular letters, and they were both disappointed that they couldn't travel up to meet James and Danielle, due to being too busy. Using the savings I'd given them from Cal's money, Fabrizio was finally putting together his dream of opening a small Italian restaurant. He'd finally managed to find somewhere to set up business, and was working hard on making things all come together. The good news had continued to grow; we'd had a letter from them just a couple of weeks ago to say that Helga was pregnant.

"How are they? Helga must be, what, 3 months by now from what they told us?" I asked, sliding James from my lap into Jack's, who scooped him up and held him to his chest. His smile was replaced by a look of melancholy that I didn't like.

"Helga miscarried" said Jack with a sigh, stroking his fingertips across Jame's hair.

"Oh, no" I filled with bitter disappointment. They had sounded so excited in their letter. Everything had been going so perfect for them. And now this.

"That's awful..." Sarah breathed, her eyes staring off, lost in thought.

The silence that fell between us was broken by a loud crinkling. I looked down to see that Danielle had managed to pull herself right on top of the open newspaper and was happily revelling in her discovery of a brand new noise to make.

Jack's face spread into a smile. No one was ever immune to Danielle's charm, even at just three months old.

"Come here, you"

With James balanced in the crook of one arm, Jack reached out to scoop Danielle up from the newspaper and draw her close, beside her brother. He kissed her forehead and was rewarded with a happy giggle.

Jack suddenly noticed the photograph and Danielle had been hiding underneath her. He frowned as he recognised the face printed on the paper.

"What's he doing in the papers?"

Jack's tone was darker than I was used to. He visibly tensed, and his grip on the twins seemed to tighten at the sight of the man who tried to wreck our family.

"He got married yesterday" I replied, unable to resist a smile.

"And why are you so happy about that?"

"Look closer at the picture"

I grabbed the paper and held it in front of him, pointing to the corner.

"See that? The cane in the background, like he's trying to hide it? Look at the way he's standing"

Jack's look of concentration slowly brightened to an amused grin as he put two and two together.

"God, she managed to really damage him long-term" he laughed.

"Damn right she did" I gave Honey another stroke beside me. She gave my hand a quick lick before settling down to snooze again.

The newspaper lay on the ground in front of Jack, and something seemed to catch his eye as he looked down at the article. A moment later he passed the twins one by one over to me, much to Danielle's protest, and picked up the newspaper to read.

Silence fell as Jack's eyes ran over the words, until he threw the paper down at last.

"Bastard" he muttered, shaking his head.

"What is it?" I asked. I hadn't actually read the article.

"He's married the daughter of the man who owns the logging company, Davies & Co. The company that bought off a load of the woodland not far south of here a few years back and ploughed it all down to be chopped up for timber. Ruined the area and wrecked the wildlife. All for profit"

"God I remember" said Sarah. "I have family from down there. Well, they don't live there anymore. They moved once the loggers showed up. There wasn't much choice in the matter, really"

I may have only seen enough of Rebecca to determine that she was sweet, but I knew nothing of her father, nor his work. His business tactics sounded as ruthless as Cal's. No wonder they had struck a marriage bargain.

"I had no idea" I said, shaking my head.

"And now that asshole has shares in the company, and a say in the running" Jack continued, his anger evident. "As if he wasn't already swimming in cash, he's a decent size richer now after chaining that poor girl to him"

I sighed sadly. My earlier feelings of triumph over Cal's lasting injuries from Honey's attack melted away. He may be stuck with a limp, but he was still an all-powerful, in-control businessman, whether we liked it or not. He had everything he wanted. More power, more money, and renewal of reputation, all obtained by marriage to a sweet girl with no say in her future. Before long we would probably read about the birth of their first child, and however many more after that.

I held my two babies close to me, and thought of Fabrizio and Helga down in Florida, their happiness snatched from them so soon after sharing it with us. They of all people deserved to be happy, and yet it was Cal who had everything he wanted.

"It's always been this way, and it always will" I said sadly. "He always wins, while others suffer"

The sunny skies above suddenly didn't seem quite so warm as before.


End file.
